Pelicans move awkwardly on land but are majestic in flight. On a recent winters day I observed a pelican skimming along just one metre above the surface of a lake for several hundreds of metres on a “cushion of air” barely flapping a wing. This “cushion of air” or more technically known as “ground effect” is well used by pelicans. It occurs when the air flowing under a low flying birds wings is compressed by the water surface, thus acting like a cushion, providing extra lift and less drag reducing the amount of energy needed for sustained flight. 

Eventually the pelican flight came to an end with the bird adjusting its 2.