Pelican meanings and symbolism include selflessness, sacrifice, protection, wisdom, teamwork, transformation, abundance, resourcefulness, and spiritual growth. These remarkable aquatic birds inhabit every continent except Antarctica, ranging from tropical coastlines to inland waterways. With their distinctive appearance and ancient lineage dating back 36 million years, pelicans have captured human imagination across cultures for centuries.
In this post, we’ll explore pelican meaning and symbolism, including pelican spiritual meaning and the pelican spirit animal, plus pelican mythology and folklore.
Table of Contents
| Quality | Description |
| Selflessness & Sacrifice | Ancient people believed the pelican wounded herself to feed her young, thinking red on her gular pouch was blood. Thus, they became symbols of selfless love and sacrifice. |
| Protection & Nurturing | With their large pouches that hold abundant fish, pelicans symbolize protective care and the ability to provide for those in need. |
| Abundance & Prosperity | Just as they symbolize nurturing, the pelican’s large pouch, which can hold a lot of fish, is also why they symbolize abundance and prosperity. |
| Wisdom & Knowledge | The pelican’s expandable pouch represents a vessel for storing wisdom, making them symbols of teaching and sharing knowledge. |
| Teamwork & Community | Known for cooperative hunting, flying in formation, and raising their young in colonies, pelicans embody the power of working together toward common goals. |
| Transformation | Diving from heights into water depths, pelicans represent our ability to navigate between different states of consciousness. |
| Spiritual Growth | As birds that master earth, water, and air, pelicans symbolize spiritual evolution and transcendence. |
| Resilience, Grace & Buoyancy | With air sacs throughout their bodies, pelicans represent staying afloat through life’s challenges with grace. |
| Endurance | The pelican’s ability to travel vast distances, including 600 miles inland, symbolizes persistence and determination. |
| Good Fortune | Like their albatross cousins, pelicans are considered harbingers of good luck, especially for fishermen and sailors. |
One of the pelican’s most enduring symbolic meanings comes from medieval Christian tradition, where they represent ultimate self-sacrifice and divine love. The famous “pelican in her piety” symbol depicts a mother pelican wounding her own breast to feed her young with her blood, a metaphor for sacrificial love.
This symbolism likely arose from observing pelicans pressing their bills against their chests to fully empty their pouches. This vision was likely also combined with the Dalmatian pelican’s blood-red pouch that appears during breeding season.
In fact, medieval bestiaries widely promoted this image, making the pelican one of Christianity’s most important symbols for Christ’s sacrifice.
The pelican reminds us that true love can be about forgetting one’s self or self-centereness, and putting others’ needs before our own.
With their enormous gular pouches, which are capable of holding up to an astonishing three gallons of water, pelicans are natural symbols of provision and protection. In fact. parent pelicans work tirelessly to fill their pouches with fish to feed their young, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles to find food.
I wanted to include this video from GoPro in this post to show a person for whom I’m certain the pelican is one of their spirit animals. Caring for the pelican and teaching him how to fish is the ultimate symbol of care and nurturing:
The pelican’s protective nature extends beyond just feeding. They nest colonially, creating communities where multiple adults watch over the young. This communal caregiving makes the pelican a powerful symbol of collective protection and the idea that “it takes a village” to raise the next generation.
This pelican’s expandable pouch (their gular) seems to defy logic because it can hold so much. Thus, pelicans are symbols of the Universe’s infinite abundance and our ability to receive more than we might think possible.
You might have heard the limerick by Dixon Lanier Merritt, which captures the pelican’s association with abundance: “A wonderful bird is the pelican, His beak can hold more than his belican…”
This is how I remember it from my childhood, taught to me by my Dad:
Behold the mighty pelican.
His beak holds more than his belican.
I don’t know how the helican,
but then, he is the pelican.
The pelican’s distinctive pouch has long been viewed as a vessel for storing more than just fish. It also represents the accumulation of wisdom. This symbolism is particularly prominent in academic institutions. In fact, the medical faculties at Charles University in Prague have used the pelican as their emblem since 1348, recognizing the bird as a symbol of the knowledge that is passed from teacher to student.
Like a pelican fills its pouch to feed others, teachers and mentors fill themselves with knowledge to nourish the minds of those they guide. The pelican reminds us that wisdom is meant to be shared generously.
Pelicans are remarkably social birds who demonstrate the power of cooperation. They hunt cooperatively, with groups working together to herd fish into shallow water where they’re easier to catch. And when migrating, they fly in a V-formation. As well, they use aerodynamics to conserve energy, with birds taking turns leading to share the burden of breaking the wind’s resistance.
This collaborative spirit makes the pelican a symbol of how we can achieve more together than we can on our own. The pelicina reminds us that true strength comes from community and that sharing responsibilities makes everyone’s journey easier.
Pelicans are masters of transformation, moving seamlessly between the air, the water, and the land. In fact, brown pelicans can dive from heights of 60 feet (18.3 m), transforming from graceful fliers to underwater hunters in seconds. Some species dive as deep as 41 feet (12.5 m) beneath the surface.
This ability to navigate between air and water represents our own capacity to move between the conscious and subconscious realms. Thus, like other water birds, including the duck, the pelican is a symbol of personal transformation. They remind us that growth requires us to dive deep into our emotions and unconscious patterns, then to rise again with new understanding.
Despite weighing up to 33 pounds (15 kg), pelicans possess remarkable buoyancy thanks to a network of air sacs under their skin and in their bones. These air sacs not only keep them afloat but also cushion their impact when diving from great heights.
This natural buoyancy symbolizes our own ability to stay afloat during difficult times. The pelican teaches us that we have internal resources, such as faith, hope, and resilience, that can keep us from sinking when life feels overwhelming.
I often get asked what it means if you come across a dead bird or other animal and whether or not it’s bad luck. Coming across a dead pelican or other animals does not signify bad luck or negative omens. From a spiritual perspective, I believe (and I am not alone in this understanding) that coming across a deceased bird means you’ve been chosen to honor their life and spirit. Many spiritual traditions believe that spirits maintain an interest in what happens to their earthly bodies after their death, and so it’s important to pay homage to the body and spirit.
If you encounter a dead pelican, consider it an opportunity to show respect for this magnificent creature. If possible, respectfully dispose of their body and perhaps say a prayer or meditation to honor the pelican’s spirit and the wisdom it represents. This is an act of reverence.
In conjunction with what has been referenced above, here are some spiritual meanings of the pelican:
The pelican’s mythical willingness to wound herself to nourish her young represents the highest form of spiritual love, which is giving one’s self to God, or your Higher Power. In this way the pelican shares meanings with moth symbolism — the moth surrenders to the flame of God’s power.
This profound symbolism, embraced by mystics and saints throughout history, teaches us that spiritual growth often requires letting go of ego and putting others’ needs before our own comfort. The pelican shows us that the divine often works through acts of selfless service.
The pelican’s expandable pouch that symbolizes the infinite abundance of the Universe and divine providence. Like the biblical loaves and fishes, the pelican reminds us that when we operate from a place of faith and generosity, resources multiply. The pelican teaches us to trust that the Universe will provide what we need to fulfill our spiritual purpose. This powerful bird teaches us to move beyond “zero-sum game” thinking to manifestation and abundance.,
Pelicans navigate seamlessly between earth (where they nest), water (where they dive and fish), and air (where they soar). This mastery represents our own spiritual journey through different states of consciousness. The pelican teaches us that spiritual wholeness comes from integrating all aspects of our being—physical, emotional, and spiritual—rather than rejecting the material world for the spiritual.
Pelicans nest colonially and hunt cooperatively, reminding us that spiritual growth doesn’t happen in isolation. They symbolize the importance of spiritual community, where we support each other’s journey, share wisdom, and provide collective protection. The pelican teaches us that we rise together, and that serving our spiritual community is itself a form of devotion.
The ancient legend of the pelican reviving its dead young with its own blood speaks to the spiritual themes of death and rebirth, transformation and renewal. The pelican’s ability to dive deep into water and emerge again symbolizes our own capacity for spiritual resurrection—dying to old ways of being and emerging renewed. This echoes the spiritual truth that sometimes we must lose our life to find it.
People around the world have revered these large and unusual birds for centuries. Here are some stories of the pelican in myths and folklore:
In ancient Egyptian mythology, the pelican (called henet) held sacred significance as a protective symbol against evil. Egyptians painted pelicans on tomb walls and included them in funerary texts, believing these birds could protect the deceased from snakes in the afterlife.1
The Pyramid Texts refer to the pelican as the “mother of the king,” associating it with divine feminine power and prophetic abilities. Egyptians believed pelicans could foretell safe passage through the underworld, making them powerful allies in the journey after death.
Different Native American tribes hold varied beliefs about pelicans. The Nez Perce consider the pelican a medicine bird, and seeing one in your dreams or visions signifies that you have been granted spiritual power. This power is believed to bring healing abilities and connection to the spirit world.2
Some California tribes believe pelicans control weather and storms. So, they respect them as powerful beings who can bring rain or sunshine.
The Cree people tell stories warning against killing pelicans recklessly, teaching that the winds themselves will punish those who show disrespect to these sacred birds.
Australian Aboriginal Peoples hold the pelican as a sacred creature who appears in several of their creation stories. For example, the Wangkamura people credit the pelican with creating both opals and fire, two elements essential to their culture.3
Another story tells of Goolay-Yali the pelican, who created the first fishing net, teaching humans how to catch fish more efficiently.
The Murri people of Queensland explain the pelican’s distinctive black and white plumage through a tale of love, trickery, and transformation, where a pelican’s war paint became permanent markings.
The pelican holds extraordinary importance in Christian symbolism. The Physiologus, an early Christian text from the 3rd or 4th century, describes the pelican as a bird who kills her young in anger, then resurrects them three days later with her own blood, an allegory for Christ’s death and resurrection.4
This symbolism appears throughout Christian art and architecture. Queen Elizabeth I adopted the pelican symbol, portraying herself as the “mother of the Church of England” in the famous Pelican Portrait of 1573.
The 1611 King James Bible features a pelican feeding her young on its title page.
Saint Thomas Aquinas referenced the pelican in his hymn “Adoro te devote,” calling Christ the “loving divine pelican” whose blood saves the world. Medieval churches throughout Europe feature pelican imagery, including the 1350 mural in Belchamp Walter, Essex, and Grinling Gibbons’ 1686 reredos in London’s St Mary Abchurch.5
The pelican became a powerful heraldic symbol throughout Europe, representing noble sacrifice and charity. The symbol appears in two main forms: “a pelican vulning herself” (wounding herself) and “a pelican in her piety” (feeding her young with her blood).
King John II of Portugal adopted the pelican as his personal symbol, connecting it to charitable works and the establishment of hospitals. Both Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, feature pelicans on their coats of arms, linking the bird to the Eucharist and higher learning.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service uses a pelican as its symbol, with its former headquarters called Pelican House, beautifully connecting the medieval symbolism of life-giving blood to modern medical practice.6
In Romania, the great white pelican is the national bird. They symbolize the country’s rich wetlands and commitment to conservation.
In the Caribbean, the brown pelican serves as the national bird of Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Sint Maarten, appearing on their coats of arms as a symbol of their maritime heritage.
The Moche people of ancient Peru frequently depicted pelicans in their art, recognizing their importance to coastal life.
And the ancient Greeks saw pelicans as devoted parents, and this perception influenced later European symbolism.
In Indian mythology, they tell tales of pelicans who killed their young through rough treatment but then resurrected them with their own blood, paralleling Christian symbolism.
For Louisianans, the Pelican is the state bird and is featured on the state flag and seal, representing resilience and abundance.
And Alcatraz Island in San Francisco got its name from early Spanish settlers because of the large numbers of brown pelicans who nested there. The word alcatraz is derived from the Arabic al-caduos, a term used for a water-carrying vessel, which the Spanish likened to the pouch of the pelican.7
When the pelican is your spirit animal, you have a generous and nurturing soul who finds deep fulfillment in caring for others.
Pelican people are natural providers who often put others’ needs before their own. You might find yourself in caregiving professions, such as teaching, nursing, social work, or any field where you can make a difference in others’ lives.
Even if your career isn’t directly about caregiving, you’re likely the person friends turn to for support and wisdom.
With generous spirits, pelican people also understand the importance of community. You work best in teams and know that great achievements come from collaboration, not solo efforts. You’re likely someone who brings people together, whether organizing family gatherings, community events, or workplace initiatives.
The pelican spirit animal also indicates someone with remarkable resilience. Like the pelican’s natural buoyancy, you have an ability to stay afloat during challenging times. You might go through deep transformative experiences, diving into emotional or spiritual depths, but you always resurface with wisdom to share.
If you’re curious about other animals who might be your spirit guides, you can take UniGuide’s spirit animal test.
As the name implies, a power animal can inspire you with their most dynamic traits. Thus, if you want to transform an area of your life, consider the attributes that the power animal represents. For example, you can meditate on the pelican power animal in situations when you:
An animal totem encapsulates the protective powers of the animal they represent. Thus, the pelican totem animal is a helpful symbol when you want to provide for and protect others, but feel you lack the resources to do so. The pelican reminds us that we often have more capacity to give than we realize.
The pelican totem is particularly powerful for parents, teachers, healers, and anyone in care giving roles. It can help you find the strength to keep giving even when you feel depleted, while also reminding you to work with others rather than trying to do everything alone.
Furthermore, the pelican totem is a helpful talisman for manifesting abundance and for remembering that the universe’s resources are infinite when we approach them with an open heart and generous spirit.
What does it mean if you dream of a pelican? Dreams and dream interpretations are uniquely personal, so there is never one cut and dry answer. However, delving into the emotions you felt in the dream and your feelings when you awoke can shed light on what your dream meant.
A pelican filling its pouch in your dream might represent abundance coming into your life or a need to gather resources for future challenges. If the pelican is feeding others, it might reflect your own caregiving nature or a calling to be more generous.
Dreams of flying pelicans often relate to spiritual matters. Perhaps you’re ready to rise above material concerns and embrace a higher perspective. If you dream of a pelican diving into water, it might symbolize a need to dive deep into your emotions or subconscious to retrieve something valuable.
A wounded pelican in your dream might represent sacrifices you’ve made or need to make. Consider whether these sacrifices are necessary and healthy, or if you’re giving too much of yourself.
Particularly vivid dreams that stay with you the next day can also mean that one of your spirit guides is reaching out to you. Perhaps it’s someone who was generous and caring in life, or someone who loved the ocean.
Hopefully understanding more about pelican symbolic meanings and mythologies can bring deeper insights into what your dream is telling you.
A pelican tattoo is a meaningful symbol that can represent many profound qualities. For some, it symbolizes their devotion to family and willingness to sacrifice for their children. Parents often choose pelican tattoos to represent their unconditional love.
Healthcare workers, teachers, and others in caring professions might choose a pelican tattoo to represent their calling to nurture and heal others. The image of a pelican in her piety is particularly powerful for those whose faith involves service and sacrifice.
A pelican tattoo can also symbolize abundance, resilience, or connection to the ocean. Some choose it to represent their ability to stay buoyant through life’s challenges or their commitment to working collaboratively with others.
Tattoos are deeply personal to the person whose skin they adorn. But hopefully learning more about pelican meanings and mythologies can bring even deeper meaning to your tattoo.
While pelicans have shown remarkable resilience, recovering from near-extinction due to DDT poisoning in the mid-20th century, they still face significant threats. Three of the eight pelican species are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The Dalmatian pelican, Spot-billed pelican, and Peruvian pelican all face declining populations.
The main threats to pelicans include:
Despite these challenges, all pelican species breed readily in captivity, offering hope for conservation programs. If you care about pelicans, please do what you can to protect them. Here are some organizations that are working on pelican conservation:
You might enjoy these other articles on UniGuide:
UniGuide is dedicated to nature and animal lovers, spiritual seekers, and mythology fans.
©2025 UniGuide Media LLC
All Rights Reserved.
UniGuide participates in affiliate programs in which I may earn a small commission if you buy products you link to from UniGuide. Please see my Disclosures for details.
I donate 10% of UniGuide’s profits to animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and environmental charities. Learn more on About UniGuide.
UniGuide Media LLC
Sausalito, CA 94965
