American white pelican
Those odd fins on the pelicans’ bills are called breeding knobs, or nuptial tubercles, if you want to impress your birder friends. These seasonal growths appear only during mating season and fall off once nesting begins. They're nature’s version of a fancy boutonnière.
Forget cologne or gelled-up hair,
A horny bill says, "I’m debonair!”
When pelicans court, they don't do flowers,
They sprout tubercles with mysterious powers.
Nuptial tubercles appear this time of year,
A pelican’s version of a boutonnière.
American white pelican
Those odd fins on the pelicans’ bills are called breeding knobs, or nuptial tubercles, if you want to impress your birder friends. These seasonal growths appear only during mating season and fall off once nesting begins. They're nature’s version of a fancy boutonnière.
Forget cologne or gelled-up hair,
A horny bill says, "I’m debonair!”
When pelicans court, they don't do flowers,
They sprout tubercles with mysterious powers.
Nuptial tubercles appear this time of year,
A pelican’s version of a boutonnière.