WhenToBird

Brown Pelican · Pelecanus occidentalis

When Do Pelicans Arrive in Georgia?

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

The Brown Pelican is in Georgia all year. It turns up on about 4.2% of checklists at its peak (early January) and on 1.9% in its quietest week (early May). They are the only regular pelicans in Georgia.

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekJan 1-7early January
Quietest weekMay 1-7early May

Best: early January. Here all year. Peak: on about 4.2% of Georgia checklists.

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

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

Pelicans in Georgia, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Brown Pelicanall year–Jan 1-7–4.2%
0%2%4%6%Brown PelicanJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Brown 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 Georgia 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 Georgia

Best counties for Brown Pelican

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Glynn CountyBest late June · 740 checklists that week, 48,828 in all37%
  2. Chatham CountyBest early December · 647 checklists that week, 37,460 in all28%
  3. Liberty CountyBest early February · 39 checklists that week, 2,209 in all19%
  4. Camden CountyBest mid December · 424 checklists that week, 10,650 in all16%
  5. Burke CountyBest mid November · 52 checklists that week, 2,822 in all13%
  6. McIntosh CountyBest early January · 305 checklists that week, 10,475 in all10%

Common questions

When do pelicans arrive in Georgia?
The Brown Pelican is in Georgia all year. It turns up on about 4.2% of checklists at its peak (early January) and on 1.9% in its quietest week (early May). They are the only regular pelicans in Georgia.
When do pelicans leave Georgia?
The Brown Pelican does not leave Georgia: it is reported all year, from 1.9% of checklists in early May to 4.2% in early January.
When is the best time to see pelicans in Georgia?
The Brown Pelican is reported most often in early January, on about 4.2% of Georgia checklists.