Taxonomical identification of Brown Pelican prey in the northern Gulf of Mexico (2013-2015)

The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a large-bodied seabird that nests in colonies of 10 to upwards of 5,000 pairs, on nearshore barrier islands in subtropical and tropical North American waters. It breeds between March and August, laying 2–3 eggs and raising 1–2 chicks per year. The species is facultatively migratory during nonbreeding, with some individuals remaining resident and others leaving breeding areas. Pelicans forage in near- and offshore waters and capture schooling fish by plunge-diving. This dataset summarizes taxonomical information for all prey species identified in the diet of Brown Pelican collected in 2013-2015 at 10 breeding colonies in the northern Gulf of Mexico from Texas to the Florida Panhandle. Species identifications were based on descriptions in McEachran and Fechhelm (2010, Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico).