WhenToBird

Brown Pelican · Pelecanus occidentalis

When Do Pelicans Arrive in New Jersey?

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

Brown Pelicans arrive in New Jersey in the second week of June, peak in late July (3.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early November. They are the only regular pelicans in New Jersey.

When to look

First arrivalsJun 8-14the second week of June
Common byJun 8-14the second week of June
PeakJul 22-31late July
Most gone byNov 1-7early November

Best: late July. First arrivals the second week of June; most are gone by early November. Peak: on about 3.2% of New Jersey checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprrare
  5. Mayuncommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decrare

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

Pelicans in New Jersey, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Brown PelicanJun 8-14Jun 8-14Jul 22-31Nov 1-73.2%
0%1%2%3%4%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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey

Best counties for Brown Pelican

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Ocean CountyBest mid July · 1233 checklists that week, 87,340 in all15%
  2. Cape May CountyBest late July · 2809 checklists that week, 189,832 in all10%
  3. Atlantic CountyBest mid August · 448 checklists that week, 28,208 in all3.2%
  4. Monmouth CountyBest mid July · 1033 checklists that week, 79,748 in all1.5%
  5. Cumberland CountyBest early April · 268 checklists that week, 13,927 in all1.4%
  6. Hudson CountyBest the second week of November · 338 checklists that week, 21,191 in all0.4%

Common questions

When do pelicans arrive in New Jersey?
Brown Pelicans arrive in New Jersey in the second week of June, peak in late July (3.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early November. They are the only regular pelicans in New Jersey.
When do pelicans leave New Jersey?
Most Brown Pelicans have left New Jersey by early November, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see pelicans in New Jersey?
The Brown Pelican is reported most often in late July, on about 3.2% of New Jersey checklists.