 belly; yes, it's true.
A pelican's bill can hold about three gallons of water as compared to about one gallon of stomach
capacity. This occurs when catching food. As its bill enters the water to engulf
the fish, its pleated pouch (called a gular sac) expands and traps the fish. The
water immediately drains away allowing pelly to swallow the fish down to its belly.Brown pelicans are plunge divers. Their sharp eyesight will spot the fish and then they dive head first toward their prey. Before entering the water, they throw their wings back for streamlining, which allows them to reach depths of two feet or more. 
White pelicans cannot dive because
of their buoyancy. They open and dip their bill into the water to catch the fish.
Sometimes flocks of these pelicans will herd schools of bait fish together for easier capture.The white pelican was in demand for its feathers when decorating women's hats with feathers was in vogue. The white pelicans are larger than the brown ones and are unique in the fact that they develop a shaggy crest and an orange beak that sprouts a vertical plate when mating. The Brown pelican's wings are elongated for soaring. This is self-evident, watch them gracefully glide and soar over the water; sometimes it looks like their wings are touching the water. Also, they fly high in "V" formations, like ducks. Have you ever wondered how or why the leader is picked? Is it a big mouth, a big belly, or big feet that gets them the nod? How about this for cooperation? The male gathers sticks, reeds, and grass; the female builds the nest (mother knows best how to build the nest so daddy can rest). That's a mouthful! These birds are big eaters, and are quite messy when using the open air restroom. OO-La-La, so protect your head after they're fed. 
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