The pelicans at St James’s Park are fed at about 2.30pm, daily, by the lake. That is the one time worth building a visit around, and most people walking The Mall have no idea it happens. There have been pelicans here since 1664.
The current residents are Isla, Tiffany, Gargi, Sun, Moon and Star, plus four chicks that hatched recently and have not been named yet. Extra feeds have been added since the chicks arrived, so the 2.30pm slot is the reliable one rather than the only one.
We read the Royal Parks pages on 10 October 2026.
Keep away from the chicks
The park asks visitors plainly not to approach the pelican chicks, which are kept in a secure area closed to the public. The adults are the opposite: they rarely stray far from the lake, rest on the rocks in the middle of it, and are known for perching on the benches beside it, which is how most people end up within a metre of one.
Dogs must be kept on leads on the path around the lake.
Hours
Some pedestrian gates are open from 5am to midnight, which is as precise as the park gets. It is not a park that locks up tightly at dusk in the way the gated squares do, but do not assume every entrance is open at 11pm.
What you can see from it
The lake is the point. From the bridge across it you get the view towards Buckingham Palace one way and Horse Guards Parade and the towers of Whitehall the other, which is the most photographed sightline in the park. Admiralty Arch is at the far end of The Mall. There is a statue of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, a white marble Boy Statue, flower beds and a lakeside path under the trees.
Food and drink are available in the park, though the Royal Parks page does not name the cafés or their hours, and it does not publish detail on toilets, deckchairs, cycling rules or step-free routes. For those, ask at a café or check the park map on the day.
St James’s Park
- Address
- St James’s Park, London SW1A 2BJ, between The Mall and Birdcage Walk
- Nearest
- St James’s Park, Westminster, Green Park or Charing Cross
- Hours
- Some pedestrian gates open 5am to midnight. The Royal Parks does not publish a single closing time
- Booking
- None needed
- Price
- Free
- Standing
- The oldest of the royal parks, with a lake, pelicans kept since 1664, and the view to Buckingham Palace from the bridge
How to get in
Pelicans are fed at about 2.30pm daily by the lake, with extra feeds since four chicks hatched. Visitors are asked not to approach the chicks, which are in a secure area. Dogs must be on leads on the path around the lake
Where to go next
Buckingham Palace is at one end, and Hyde Park and Regent’s Park are the bigger royal parks.
Free things to do covers the rest.
Questions we get asked
What time are the pelicans fed at St James's Park?
Usually at around 2.30pm, daily, by the lake. Extra feeding times have been added since four chicks hatched.
How many pelicans are in St James's Park?
The named adults are Isla, Tiffany, Gargi, Sun, Moon and Star, plus four recently hatched chicks whose names have not been announced. More than 40 pelicans have lived in the park since 1664.
Can you approach the pelicans at St James's Park?
Not the chicks, which are in a secure area closed to visitors and which the park asks you not to approach. The adults stay close to the lake and often rest on the rocks or the benches beside it.
What are St James's Park's opening hours?
Some pedestrian gates are open from 5am to midnight. The Royal Parks does not publish a single opening and closing time for the park.
Are dogs allowed in St James's Park?
Yes, but they must be kept on leads on the path around the lake.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 445 in the guide.
Last checked 10 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
