These birds are American White Pelicans, a familiar and spectacular sight at the Salton Sea, where the species uses the lake as an important wintering and migration stopover. The large white birds with black-tipped wings and long, orange bills are remarkably well adapted to life on the water, using their expandable throat pouches to scoop up fish. The Salton Sea has historically supported enormous numbers of White Pelicans—California wildlife officials estimate that at times roughly one-third of the North American wintering population has gathered here. The bird at the far left is a younger pelican, with noticeably darker brownish plumage, while the other birds are more mature. Their graceful movement across the calm, pastel-colored water makes scenes like this one especially characteristic of the Salton Sea, an important stop along the Pacific Flyway for hundreds of bird species.