APRIL, 2024 PHOTO CONTEST WINNER!!!

This beautiful photo of a Brown Pelican taken by Susannah Heyno.

Aprils photo contest winner is Susannah Heynio, 42, from Plant City, FL.  The photo is a Brown Pelican taken on the south side of Sebastian Inlet State Park. The amazing brown pelicans can be found throughout Sebastian Inlet State Park in abundance. This abundance of brown pelicans is a success story as they were seriously endangered in the 1970s. The brown pelicans feeding behavior is spectacular, as they plunge headfirst into the water in pursuit of fish. They are the only pelican to feed this way as other species swim on top of the water to hunt for fish. They can fly up as high as 100 feet before folding back their wings and plunging into the sea. Pictured here is a juvenile brown pelican, you can distinguish the juveniles from the adults based on the birds plumage. The younger pelicans are all brown in color, while the adults get a beautiful white head with yellow or brown coloration. Come check out the brown pelicans at Sebastian Inlet State Park and potentially catch their amazing feeding behavior.