This is the southern limit of the range of this species which is endemic to the Pacific coast of South America south to central Chile. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), but was split by the AOU in its 49th checklist supplement. This species is much larger, weighing about twice as much as a Brown Pelican. Adult Peruvian Pelicans such as this show flashy pale scapulars lacking in the Brown Pelican. Birdlife International lists Peruvian Pelican as "near threatened" primarily because of steep population declines during past el nino events. Currently the population seems to be increasing. The bird on the right is a Kelp Gull.
Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LX5 | Nikon FieldScope 3 | 30X WA | hand-held (no adapter)