Cooperative hunting in white pelicans

[GNPY25A@prodigy.com (MR RALPH C GAUER)]

'Xcuse me if this has come up before, but there is a
terrific example of cooperative hunting in the white
pelicans on the lake in our backyard: Floating WPs use their 
wings to beat the surface of the water, herding schooling
fish into tighter schools (all the better to eat you, my
dear). They then force schools to shore, or into a circle.

    This is a common behavior... but I'm even more
interested in their (?) communal hunting with comorants, who 
typically catch fish below the water's surface. (WPs are not 
plunge feeders like browns, and must scoop fish at the
surface). WPs float among the dunking comorants and catch
fish terrorized to the surface. Pretty amazing to see 100s
of comorants with (comparatively) huge WPs floating among
them, scooping up dinner.

    Anyway, so much for my first email to you guys...

                                        Ralph Gauer 


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