What is the national bird of Barbados?

The national bird of Barbados is the brown pelican, or Pelecanus occidentalis. The bird is visible on the left side of the Barbados Coat of Arms, providing support to the shield opposite the dolphin.

The brown pelican is said to symbolize Pelican Island, a small island named after the bird that once existed off the west coast. While they once thrived in the region, the birds were forced to abandon the popular nesting area after the island became more populated during the 1961 construction of the Deep Water Harbour. Decades later, the smallest of the eight pelican species is rarely ever spotted in the region.