15 Pelican Quotes Taking Flight With Wisdom
With a graceful plunge, pelicans scoop their prey from their aquatic habitats. With their distinct feeding habits and striking presence, these large birds have taken presence in literature, metaphors, and even pop culture, inspiring a collection of pelican quotes. Dive into the world of these seabirds with us.
Quick links to our selection of pelican quotes:
Pelican Quotes About The Birds In The Wild
Pelicans are large birds that stand tall, up to six feet. Inhabiting waterfronts, it evolved to have webbed feet with four toes. A pelican's bill, up to 1.6 feet in length, and throat pouch are also eye-catching and, most importantly, essential for feeding. Their diet primarily consists of fish, which they skillfully scoop up in a swift, plunging motion.
Before browsing this article, save our article on pelican facts for an in-depth look at these birds.
"Sturdy swimmers afloat on water-couch Beneath the heavy bill their treasured pouch Fishes pray for them to fly far away Inland lakes toast to the Pelican's day"
- Munia Khan
"The pelican is best known for its impressive diving skills and its large bill, which it uses to catch fish."
- Unknown
"A lot of guys like to go to the beach and bring a crowd, but not me. I like to be alone and out there with a couple of pelicans."
- Robert Englund
"Nature does not compromise; a pelican is not a compromise between a crow and otter, it is just a pelican. Nature makes no compromises; any inefficient products are recalled to the manufacturer!"
- Amory Lovins
"Goal: Clean air, clean clear-running rivers, the presence of Pelican and Osprey and Gray Whale in our lives; salmon and trout in our streams; unmuddied language and good dreams."
- Gary Snyder
Metaphorical Pelican Quotes To Think About
Pelicans often appear in metaphors, symbolizing various human traits or societal issues. These birds have been linked to charity, possibly due to their communal feeding habits. Conversely, they can represent isolation since they can often be seen alone in deep waters.
Check out the quotes below that draw from the seabird's characteristics to convey human themes.
"He wondered why the pelican was the symbol of charity, except it was that it wanted a good deal of charity to admire a pelican."
- G.K. Chesterton
"But what between the poor men I won't have, and the rich men who won't have me, I stand as a pelican in the wilderness!"
- Thomas Hardy
"The dollar bill is God in the States. All those Pelican people just believe in money and nothing else."
- Jimi Hendrix
Quotes From Pelican Island And Other Literary Works
These water birds capture the imagination in literature, symbolizing various ideas. In James Montgomery's "Pelican Island," they personify resilience amidst nature's challenges. This narrative explores the power of nature and humanity's link to it, at times nurturing, at others cruel but always enduring.
Read through the excerpts from this book and other literary works below.
"Nature's prime favourites were the Pelicans; High-fed, long-lived, and sociable and free."
- James Montgomery, Pelican Island
"The nursery of brooding Pelicans , The dormitory of their dead, had vanish'd, And all the minor spots of rock and verdue, The abodes of happy millions, were no more."
- James Montgomery, Pelican Island
"What, wouldst thou have me turn pelican, and feed thee out of my own vitals?"
- William Congreve, Love for Love
"By them there sat the loving pelican, Whose young ones, poison'd by the serpent's sting, With her own blood to life again doth bring."
- Michael Drayton
"A wonderful bird is the pelican His bill will hold more than his belican. He can take in his beak Food enough for a week, But I'm damned if I see how the helican."
- Dixon Lanier Merritt
Other Quotes About Pelicans In Pop Culture
Pelicans have also been featured prominently in pop culture. Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" uses "pelican fly" to depict soaring excitement and thrill. On the other hand, the film "The Pelican Brief" portrays the birds as part of a complex environmental legal battle, highlighting their significance in ecological debates.
"I said excuse me you're a hell of a guy, I mean my my my my you're like pelican fly!"
- Nicki Minaj
"Sally Field taught me to do needlepoint on 'Steel Magnolias,' and a standby painter on 'Pelican Brief' taught me to knit. I'm pretty good at it now!"
- Julia Roberts
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