Louisiana State Bird Brown Pelican TeeLouisiana Brown Pelican Tee The Brown Pelican is the only pelican species that plunge dives for fish dropping from as high as 65 feet and hitting the water with enough force to stun its prey on impact. Louisiana's state bird nearly vanished from the state entirely by the 1960s due to DDT, then made a remarkable comeback through dedicated restoration efforts. Today, Brown Pelicans glide in formation over Louisiana's coastal marshes and barrier islands,