Rare Pods of Pelicans Spotted Fishing in Unison on Lake Superior

Colonies of American white pelicans were spotted swimming and fishing in Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin, on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17. Sightings of the birds are rare, according to local Cheryl Koval, who shot this footage.

Koval, a Wisconsin resident, captured this footage of the birds elegantly ducking their heads underwater in unison to grab a bite to eat. She told Storyful it was her first time seeing this many pelicans in Lake Superior. “It is rare that they come up this far north, they usually just pass through when they do come here!” Koval said.

According to BirdWatching Magazine citing a report in The Passenger Pigeon, the pelican population in Wisconsin was very small but it has been increasing in recent years, with colonies forming near Lake Superior and Lake Erie. Credit: Cheryl Koval via Storyful