The plight of a pelican rescued in Larimer County takes a new turn. The bird is flying south for the winter but not by his own wing power.

The journey for the American white pelican began two months ago when the big bird was rescued from a lake in Windsor, partially frozen and unable to fly south.

"I don't know if he clipped a barbed wire fence or was attacked. There were no other wounds, it's really kind of strange," said Janice Crick, with the Larimer County Humane Society.

The pelican was boarded on a plane Wednesday, heading to a wildlife center in Texas. He'll be there in part for rehabilitation, but it's also because he's becoming very expensive for the Larimer Humane Society to keep around.

"He's about $100 a week to feed -- it's a lot of fish, about four or five pounds a day," said Bob Nightwalker, with the Larimer Humane Society.

The flight from Denver International Airport to San Antonio will take about four or five hours, and you never know if this pelican will be back next year.

"They have a lot of the same migration routes, so I wouldn't be surprise to see him next year," said Crick.

"It's kind of sad watching him go but maybe we'll get one next year," said 9-year-old Tallon Nightwalker.

Pelicans can be a common sight in Colorado. They love to migrate north from the gulf of Mexico to a cooler area in the state every spring.