WhenToBird

2 pelican species in Florida

When Do Pelicans Arrive in Florida?

Adult male Brown Pelican
Photo: Henrik Kibak, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Brown Pelicans and American White Pelicans are the pelicans you are most likely to see in Florida. The Brown Pelican is in Florida all year. It turns up on about 20% of checklists at its peak (mid January) and on 12% in its quietest week (early October).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekJan 15-21mid January
Quietest weekOct 1-7early October

Best: mid January. Here all year. Peak: on about 20% of Florida checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Pelicans in Florida, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Brown Pelicanall year–Jan 15-21–20%
American White PelicanOct 15-21Nov 8-14Jan 15-21Mar 22-317.8%
0%10%20%30%Brown PelicanAmerican White PelicanJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Brown Pelican
  • American White Pelican
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Florida that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Florida

Best counties for Brown Pelican

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Franklin CountyBest mid July · 141 checklists that week, 20,336 in all69%
  2. Gulf CountyBest the second week of November · 72 checklists that week, 5,038 in all60%
  3. Monroe CountyBest mid February · 1931 checklists that week, 62,908 in all47%
  4. Santa Rosa CountyBest late November · 356 checklists that week, 15,001 in all45%
  5. Walton CountyBest mid November · 159 checklists that week, 9,530 in all44%
  6. Okaloosa CountyBest early December · 239 checklists that week, 16,003 in all44%

Common questions

When do pelicans arrive in Florida?
The Brown Pelican is in Florida all year. It turns up on about 20% of checklists at its peak (mid January) and on 12% in its quietest week (early October).
When do pelicans leave Florida?
The Brown Pelican does not leave Florida: it is reported all year, from 12% of checklists in early October to 20% in mid January.
When is the best time to see pelicans in Florida?
The Brown Pelican is reported most often in mid January, on about 20% of Florida checklists.
Which pelicans are in Florida?
Brown Pelican and American White Pelican are reported regularly; the Brown Pelican is the most common.