What Have White Pelicans and Canadians in Common ?
December 5, 2008
What Have White Pelicans and Canadians in Common ?
Give up ? Well they both are pretty smart birds. All of the Pelicans and many of our Canadian friends migrate each winter to Lake Chapala.
The pelicans prefer the South Shore and the Canadians prefer the North shore.
To celebrate the arrival of Lake Chapala’s winter population of white pelicans, communities situated on or near the Michoacan shoreline host an annual “Festival Cultural del Pelicano Borregon”.
The festival encompasses a variety of cultural events each year. The municipalities of Cojumatlan de Regules, Venustiano Carranza, Pajacuran, Briseñas and Vista Hermosa all contribute.
Of course there are pelicans and then there are pelicans. The ones who favor Lake Chapala are the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) which is a large web-footed water bird distinguished by its rough white plumage, black wing tips and a long orange bill with a pouch. At maturity it weighs around 15 pounds, measuring 50 to 70 inches in length with a 110-inch wingspan.
They spend their summers ranging from the Canadian prairie to southern California and the Texas Gulf Coast and winter months in more temperate zones between the southern United States and Guatemala.
Thousands of these “snow birds” human and avian wing their way to Lake Chapala in November, remaining until April to bask in its friendly climate.
The pelicans favor the South shore around the towns of Petatan and La Palma to take advantage of the plentiful feed of scraps generated by an active fish mongering industry.
The human snow birds from Canada and the Northern USA prefer the South shores and tend to hang out in or near the towns of Ajijic, San Antonio Tlayacapa and Chapala being attracted to the Pacific coast fish and other delicacies in abundance at the wonderful restaurants on the South shore and all the cultural activities for visitors and full time residents alike.
