A Brown Pelican Was Spotted Fishing in Lake Erie This Week
Rarely seen in Ohio, the brown pelican soared along the Lake Erie shoreline this week.
by Julia Lombardo | Nov. 7, 2025 | 10:40 AM
Onlookers along Lake Erie were treated to a rare sight this week, as a brown pelican took to the waters to search for some fish food.
While the brown pelican isn’t statistically a rare species, the bird typically lives in southern America along the ocean coasts. It is known for its significantly high dives into water, swooping in from anywhere between 30 and 60 feet in the air to catch prey.
This one seemed to be in need of a cold plunge before the lake freezes over and it has to return home.
"An incredibly rare sighting, seeing this pelican fish the waters of Lake Erie was unique. The dynamic of the pelican flying in front of the Cleveland skyline was a fun photo to get," photographer Matt Shiffler wrote on social media, in a caption for his photos of the bird. "This pelican has been hanging around for a week now and hope he makes it back down to the south again soon before it gets too cold."
See more photos of the strange sight below, and at Shiffler's Instagram.
RELATED: Critters of Cleveland: Meet Northeast Ohio's Cute, Resilient and Interesting Animals
Julia Lombardo
Julia Lombardo is the editor of Cleveland Magazine’s home and style section and contributes to coverage of arts, culture and dining. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023 with an English degree. As both a journalist and poet, she is inspired by stories with creative flair. When she puts down the pen, she enjoys going to concerts, ranking coffee shops and walking aimlessly through wooded trails.
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