Pelican

Pel"i*can, n. Etym: [F. pélican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. paraçu.] [Written also pelecan.] 1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any large webfooted bird of the genus of Pelecanus, of which about a dozen species are known. They have an enormous bill, to the lower edge of which is attached a pouch in which captured fishes are temporarily stored.

Note: The American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) and the brown species (P. fuscus) are abundant on the Florida coast in winter, but breed about the lakes in the Rocky Mountains and British America.