Louisiana State Bird

Louisiana designated the Brown Pelican in 1966 because of its close tie to Louisiana's coast and its role as a visible, resilient symbol of marsh and gulf country. It was a practical symbolic choice: familiar to residents, visible across much of the state, and easy to connect with local schools, gardens, farms, parks, or conservation culture.

A huge bill with an expandable pouch, long neck, and heavy coastal silhouette make the Brown Pelican unmistakable even before it dives. In Louisiana, it looks especially at home across coastal marshes, barrier islands, and big estuary water.

Brown Pelicans cruise shoreline currents, plunge headfirst for fish, roost in groups, and gather at jetties, islands, and estuary edges. It uses coastal marshes, barrier islands, bays, jetties, and nearshore water well, which helps explain why the bird feels familiar well beyond protected areas.

In Louisiana, start with Grand Isle State Park, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, and Breton National Wildlife Refuge. Watch for low gliding flocks over water, then sudden plunge-dives where baitfish gather. Calm mornings and feeding tides often give the cleanest views at passes, piers, and marsh edges. These kinds of places match the bird's preferred mix of coastal marshes, barrier islands, bays, jetties, and nearshore water.

The Brown Pelican is currently listed as LC. The species is a classic recovery story after the DDT era, but storm damage, oil spills, and changes in coastal food webs still matter.