Huge brown pelican of the Humboldt Current; locally common along the coast and over inshore waters. Often seen perched on rocks, jetties, and scavenging at fishing harbors. Feeds by plunge diving from low heights, often with masses of other feeding birds such as cormorants, boobies, and terns. Distinctive in south of range, but in north occurs with appreciably smaller Brown Pelican, which lacks the big whitish upperwing panel of Peruvian, has a less colorful bill without a yellow base (on adults), and lacks the turquoise-blue pouch seen on Peruvian Pelican.