With an 8-foot Wingspan, It's the Largest Bird You Can See in KY

I see birds of prey every day. Either in the morning or evening (as long as it's still light enough), at least two will be a part of the scenery. They're both red-tailed hawks, although spotting a bald eagle around here wouldn't be out of the ordinary, either.

The hawks' magnificent wingspans always set them apart in case I can't tell, right away, what I'm seeing. If there are lots of fields, there will be lots of hawks looking for dinner. However, as majestic as they may be, they are not the largest bird you might encounter in Kentucky. (I doubt you'd want to encounter a hawk, anyway.)

Several years ago, we all began to notice seagulls making pitstops in Kentucky on their way to the next body of water. But they're not the only species we associate with the coastal United States you could see in Kentucky.

American White Pelicans Are Kentucky Fans

On a recent trip down to the lake area, I saw what I thought was a pelican, and now I'm pretty sure I was right. According to Bird Watcher's Digest, American white pelicans have been increasing in visibility in the Commonwealth over the last 20 years, but you'll likely need to be in the Lake Barkley area or points west to spot one. Based on the following video's time code, I am way behind the curve on pelicans in Kentucky:

Also, I find it hard to believe I only saw ONE pelican. I now feel like if we'd followed him or her, we would have encountered something like what you're seeing above.

Weighing more than 15 pounds and sporting an 8-foot wingspan, these magnificent birds enjoy feeding at the Barkley Dam tailwaters in early spring. You can also catch sight of them in early to late fall. And if you DO see them, hopefully they're with their flocks on the water. That's when they can really put on a show. I bad PELICANS aren't allowed to try out for the synchronized swimming event at the Olympics.

While it may be too late to see very many of them--or any at all--keep all this in mind when October rolls around. You could be in for quite a unique weekend getaway...PELICAN-THEMED.