Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.
During the eight years I lived in San Francisco, I spent a good deal of time in Oakland, but I only visited Lake Merritt once or twice. Perhaps that’s why I hadn’t heard of Hank. Fortunately, at the opening of “Yay, Birds!” (Andra Norris Gallery) in early October 2025, I met Lyla, whose gratifying enthusiasm for my Field Guide project was surpassed by her enthusiasm for Hank. Although Hank is usually a name given to males, Lake Merritt’s Hank is a female American white pelican. She was moved to Lake Merritt in 2003, when the Rotary Nature Center accepted her from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The FWS rehabilitated Hank after she was badly injured during a run-in with a power line near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The accident left her unable to fly, however, and the USFWS cast about for a place Hank could live. Lake Merritt, which had been used as a home for rescue pelicans in the past, was selected. Lyla has long been a fixture of the all-volunteer team that helps supplement Hank’s forage in Lake Merritt, especially during the leaner winter months.
The American white pelican is not the pelican most people see at the ocean’s edge, wingtips cutting lines in the water’s surface as they glide across the horizon like great pterodactyls. Those are brown pelicans; they are birds of the coast, creatures that plunge-dive into the ocean in pursuit of saltwater fish species. The white pelican is a scoop feeder; it simply dips its great bill into the water as it swims and catches fish in its gular pouch, the technical name for the stretchable part of a pelican’s bill. The pouch then contracts to push all the water out, and only the tasty meal is left behind. White pelicans don’t exclusively feed in freshwater, as some people think, but they are far more freshwater oriented than are brown pelicans.
Male and female American white pelicans look the same, although males tend to grow a little larger than females. This color column depicts a non-breeding adult. The colors and proportions of a breeding adult are similar, but, when dressed for sex, the bill and legs are a brighter orange, and the pelican grows white plumes on its head and develops a thin "horn" of keratin on its bill.
Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).
Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.
Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.
During the eight years I lived in San Francisco, I spent a good deal of time in Oakland, but I only visited Lake Merritt once or twice. Perhaps that’s why I hadn’t heard of Hank. Fortunately, at the opening of “Yay, Birds!” (Andra Norris Gallery) in early October 2025, I met Lyla, whose gratifying enthusiasm for my Field Guide project was surpassed by her enthusiasm for Hank. Although Hank is usually a name given to males, Lake Merritt’s Hank is a female American white pelican. She was moved to Lake Merritt in 2003, when the Rotary Nature Center accepted her from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The FWS rehabilitated Hank after she was badly injured during a run-in with a power line near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The accident left her unable to fly, however, and the USFWS cast about for a place Hank could live. Lake Merritt, which had been used as a home for rescue pelicans in the past, was selected. Lyla has long been a fixture of the all-volunteer team that helps supplement Hank’s forage in Lake Merritt, especially during the leaner winter months.
The American white pelican is not the pelican most people see at the ocean’s edge, wingtips cutting lines in the water’s surface as they glide across the horizon like great pterodactyls. Those are brown pelicans; they are birds of the coast, creatures that plunge-dive into the ocean in pursuit of saltwater fish species. The white pelican is a scoop feeder; it simply dips its great bill into the water as it swims and catches fish in its gular pouch, the technical name for the stretchable part of a pelican’s bill. The pouch then contracts to push all the water out, and only the tasty meal is left behind. White pelicans don’t exclusively feed in freshwater, as some people think, but they are far more freshwater oriented than are brown pelicans.
Male and female American white pelicans look the same, although males tend to grow a little larger than females. This color column depicts a non-breeding adult. The colors and proportions of a breeding adult are similar, but, when dressed for sex, the bill and legs are a brighter orange, and the pelican grows white plumes on its head and develops a thin "horn" of keratin on its bill.
Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).
Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.
