 Pelicans have featured extensively in heraldry , generally using the Christian symbolism of the pelican as a caring and self @-@ sacrificing parent . The image became linked to the medieval religious feast of Corpus Christi . The universities of Oxford and Cambridge each have colleges named for the religious festival nearest the dates of their establishment , and both Corpus Christi College , Cambridge , and Corpus Christi College , Oxford , feature pelicans on their coats of arms . 
