Pelicans Descend Upon Illinois…Kinda Early This Year

Each Spring migrating pelicans arrive in Illinois and Missouri from the southern United States, primarily around the gulf coast. For a several weeks, usually starting in March the pelicans will visit before heading north to breed. This year they’ve arrived early. Maybe they know something Punxsutawney Phil missed....???

American White Pelicans are all over the riverfront in Quincy, Il. and Quinsippi Island ahead of schedule this year. Most years they arrive in mid-March and stay for several weeks until mid-May.

The pelicans visit in the spring is much more casual than the fall migration. On their fall trek they will stay for just a few weeks en-route to the gulf coast for winter. During the spring they stay for a few weeks longer as they make their way to their breeding grounds in the north and western areas of North America in Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Montana and Canada.

The American White Pelicans migration maps show them moving through Missouri, but not Illinois. While this may be primarily true, American White pelicans do migrate through large portions of Illinois.

Get our free mobile app

Along the Illinois river at the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge north of Havana, Il. On Nelson Lake west of Chicago near Batavia, Il. Along the Mississippi is an easy get to if yoiu want to spy the pelicans. From Horseshoe Lake in the St. Louis metro area, up to Brussels not far from where the Illinois and Mississippi rivers conjoin, north to Quincy. South of Joliet in the Four Rivers Environmental Area, and Lake Springfield has seen pelican visits too.

If you can’t get to any of these locations to see these large fowl this spring, they will be back in October and November. Unless they show up early again.