American White Pelican

Robert Havell after John James Audubon

National Gallery of Art

This is a detailed print of a white pelican standing at the edge of dark water, facing the left. The bird's wings are tucked in, and its large pouch rests on its long, thin neck. The pelican has mostly white feathers with some touches of pale yellow and some black feathers on the edges of its wings. There is a tuft of pale-yellow feathers behind its head, and its beak is yellow, with thin, dark veins crisscrossing its pouch. The pelican's feet are light yellow, and it stands on brown ground. In the background is a dark body of water with some dark trees in the distance, and the sky above is dark and cloudy.