The Brown Pelican has made a tremendous recovery from the threats of DDT and plume hunters of the last century. I have always been fascinated by this graceful species in South Louisiana. With Louisiana being the birthplace of this photographer, and where we spent most of our formidable years, it seemed to forge my love and respect for wildlife and the natural world. It is said that where you see Pelicans there are fish, I speak from experience that there more than enough to sustain this seemingly ubiquitous bird. Long before it was adopted by the Louisiana Legitslature, the pelican was considered the state bird of Louisiana by consensus. Territorial and State Governor William C.C. Claiborne greatly admired the birds and acted as a sort of one-man promotional campaign using the birds on official documents of the territory and the state when he served. In 1902, the pelican was made a prominent part of the official state seal and, ten years later, in 1912, the pelican and her young graced the Louisiana state flag as well. Known as the Pelican State, Louisiana has enjoyed a long association with this bird and in 1958, the pelican was made the official state bird of Louisiana.