Pelicans make annual stopover along the Rock River

DIXON — It’s May 1, it must be time for pelicans.

American white pelicans found the Rock River waters west of the dam in Dixon to their liking on Monday. The river is a regular stopping point in their spring migration. They also stop in September while en route to the Gulf of Mexico, where they winter.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American white pelican is about four-feet tall, possess snow-white feathers and a flat orange bill. In flight, their signature black feathers provide an outline.

The American white pelicans paddle and fish in the manner of ducks, tipping their bills to scoop up fish. They often do their fishing in groups, working in cooperation with one another.

The breeding grounds for the American white pelican are found in the northern Great Plains and extending into Canada.