Does pelican need capitalized in a sentence?

Yes, "pelican" needs to be capitalized in a sentence when it refers to the specific bird species. This is because it is a proper noun, which refers to a specific person, place, or thing. For example:

"I saw a Pelican flying over the ocean."

In this sentence, "Pelican" is capitalized because it refers to the specific bird species. If it were not capitalized, it would simply mean "any pelican," which would not be as specific.