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Scientific
Name: Pelecanus onocrotalus
Size: 180 cms long. Wingspan of 290 cms
Weight: 10 kgs
IUCN Endangered Species?: Least Concern
Estimated Wild Population: 300000
Distribution: South East Europe, Africa
and Asia
Description: This extremely large bird has a wide home range,
stretching from south east Europe to Africa and east Asia.
Although most pelicans have a large covering of white plumage,
only the eastern (or great) white is so completely pure white.
The ‘fingers’ of the flight feathers are black and there is a
small, yellow patch at the base of the neck.
As with all large birds, they are excellent at soaring, and are
often seen in large flocks, circling effortlessly whilst looking for
suitable fishing spots. Their
diet is almost entirely made up of fish, however, they are fairly
opportunistic and will take crustaceans or even the chicks of other
birds. When fishing, the
huge bill is swept, or lunged through the water to ensnare fish.
The full pouch is then pressed against the bird’s chest to
expel the water so the fish can be swallowed whole, being manoeuvred
first so that the prey is swallowed head first.
Pelicans may sometimes try to swallow a fish which is too large
and choke to death in the process.
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