Best Places to View American White Pelicans

Every spring and fall, one of nature's most impressive spectacles unfolds along the rivers of southwest Illinois.

Thousands of American White Pelicans, one of the largest birds in North America, descend on the waterways between Alton and Grafton, turning sandbars white and filling the sky with slow, graceful formations that locals describe as "a floating strand of pearls."

When To Go
How To Spot Them
Best Viewing Spots
Photography Tips
Plan Your Visit

This stretch of the Mississippi is part of the Mississippi Flyway, the great migratory corridor that funnels most of North America's waterbirds through the region twice a year. If you've never seen a raft of several hundred pelicans bobbing together on the river, or watched a thermal carry a flock of them silently overhead, it belongs on your Illinois bucket list.

"We usually see the pelicans come through here in September and early October in the Fall and again in February and March in the Spring," said Ken Bucholz, Director of the Audubon Center at Riverlands. The Center is located along the Mississippi River. The birds migrate through the area, also known as the Mississippi Flyway, in the spring on their way north and in the fall going south.

Flocks of White Pelicans have been spotted at Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge in Brussels, at Ellis Bay at the Riverlands Center, along the Mississippi River, and at Horseshoe Lake State Park in southern Madison County.

In the past, visitors to the Riverlands Audubon Center have reported counts of more than 1,000 pelicans, according to Bucholz. "That means there's a lot of food here for the pelicans," he said. He pointed out that the center's location in the middle of the Mississippi Flyway means most of North America's migrating birds come through the region in the spring and fall each year. American White Pelicans are carnivorous. Their diet consists of fish and crustaceans.

"The Mississippi Flyway is really the migrating birds' super highway," Bucholz said.

A white pelican swimming on a lake

When To Go

Spring Migration

Late February through late March. Birds move through in smaller, more spread-out groups as they head north toward nesting grounds in the Great Plains and Great Basin.

Fall Migration

September through mid-October. This is the showstopper season, as flocks of up to 5,000 pelicans may be in the region at once, and it's common to see "rafts" of hundreds resting together on sandbars. Birds linger for three to five weeks as they feed up for the journey south.

Year-round

A small resident population has chosen to stay permanently, so you have a chance of sightings outside migration windows too.

Best Time of Day

Early morning and late afternoon, when light is low, and birds are most active on the water. Midday often finds them soaring high on thermals. Bring binoculars and look up.

In the Spring and Fall, as many as 5,000 American White Pelicans are in the region, according to a representative at the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge.

"People really enjoy seeing the pelicans because they are easy to spot," the Two Rivers rep added. "They are large, white, vibrant birds. Sometimes people think they are swans because they are so big. In the fall, you can see what we call a 'raft' of pelicans, which means large groups. In the spring, you will see smaller groups because they take their time moving north."

How To Spot Them

American White Pelicans are hard to miss. They measure about five feet long with a wingspan stretching up to ten feet, and their white plumage with black wingtips makes them stand out sharply against the river. In flight, the black tips only become visible when the wings are extended. From a distance, a resting flock can look like a line of swans.

They feed cooperatively, often forming a line across the water and herding fish together. Watch for groups moving in synchronized sweeping motions across the surface. It's one of their most distinctive behaviors.

Measuring 60 inches in length and 107 inches in width, the American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America and the only white pelican. Pelicans typically stay together in groups on their feeding trips and as they raise their families. It is not uncommon to see hundreds of pelicans flocked together on sandbars and small islands along the river between Alton and Grafton along the Great River Road. Throughout their migration, pelicans can also be found near lakes, salt bays, marshes, and beaches.

Where to See the Pelicans

Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary & Audubon Center at Riverlands

301 Riverlands Way, West Alton, MO

This is your best single stop. Located right at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, Ellis Bay within Riverlands draws enormous concentrations of pelicans during both migration windows. The Audubon Center staff closely tracks arrivals. Past counts have exceeded 1,000 birds at once. Stop inside for up-to-date sighting reports before heading to the observation areas.

Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge

364 Wildlife Conservation Road, Brussels, IL

This refuge at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers offers quieter, more secluded viewing. Pelicans gather here alongside herons, egrets, and eagles. The refuge encompasses over 8,000 acres of bottomland forest and wetlands. Give yourself at least two hours.

Horseshoe Lake State Park

3321 Highway 111, Granite City, Illinois

Located in southern Madison County, this oxbow lake is a reliable fall stop. The calm, shallow water suits pelicans well, and the viewing areas make it easy to observe without disturbing the birds.

The Great River Road (Alton to Grafton)

You don't need to leave your car to see pelicans. Driving Illinois Route 100, the Great River Road, between Alton and Grafton, keep your eyes on the sandbars and shallow water along the river's edge. Pelicans can easily be spotted on the river when driving along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway from Alton to Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton. Pull-offs near the river between the two towns are informal but reliable vantage points, especially in the fall.

Photography Tips

  • Use a zoom lens. A 300mm or longer lens gives you usable shots without disturbing the birds
  • Shoot with the sun behind you in the morning for the best light on white plumage
  • Watch for takeoffs. When a raft launches, it happens fast and creates dramatic images
  • Overcast days reduce harsh shadows and actually produce more even light on white birds
  • Don't approach resting birds. Disturbing a feeding or resting flock causes stress and interrupts their foraging

Plan Your Visit

Pelican watching pairs naturally with a drive along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. Stop for lunch or dinner in Grafton, where restaurants offer views of the river itself. In the fall, the bluffs along this stretch are also at peak color during pelican migration, making the timing doubly worthwhile.

Looking for a place to stay nearby? Find comfortable accommodations to make a weekend of bird-watching here.

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About the Author

Great Rivers & Routes of Southwest Illinois

Great Rivers & Routes of Southwest Illinois

Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau is the state-certified regional Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMO)-501C6, which represents Madison, Macoupin, Montgomery, Jersey, Calhoun, and Greene counties, and the City of East St. Louis in St. Clair County in southwest Illinois. Founded in 1985 as the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, the bureau transitioned to Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau in 2018 as the size and scope of the organization grew.