The Brown Pelican

You see the bird in this picture?  Sorry it's the best I could do.  I only have a point and shoot camera.  But the beak looks long and is pointing down.  It is a long beak.  You can't see it's throat, however.  It is large but not full of course because it's in flight.  It's wing span is wide.  This is the brown pelican, which is the national bird of Sint Maarten.  It nests at Fort Amsterdam.  I was so enthralled with them that I climbed up to the fort twice; once in a tour group, and another day, I brought my husband there.

The bird is on the Sint Maarten coat of arms.  You can't see it very well, but it's on the very top of the crest.  The Sint Martin flag is the third one--the farthest.

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• St. Maarten Nature Foundation launches Brown Pelican Project (greenantilles.com)