Pelican

Animal

Pelican

Reviewed by:

Aiswarya Ittianath

What is a Pelican?

Pelicans are bird animals and considered to be large water bird that resides in the warmer areas around the world near the sea and water bodies and possesses swimming abilities. Pelicans have two webbed feet with four toes that are all joined by a web called the "totipalmate foot." They all have huge bills with a visible gular pouch that they utilize to catch fish and drain water. Gular sacs are also responsible for mating displays and body temperature regulation. Pelicans are masters in the air and on the water, with wingspans of up to 11 feet. Let us explore more about this magnificent creature and learn about the different types of Pelicans, Nature, and behaviour.

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All About Pelican Animal

Classification	Characteristic
Kingdom	Animalia
Class	Aves
Phylum	Chordata
Family	Pelecanidae
Genus	Pelecanus
Lifespan	15-25 years
Wingspan	For an Adult, it stands around 1.8-3.5meters
Distinctive Feature	Sharp eyesight and a pouch hanging from the underside of the beak
Physical Feature	Weight- 2.7kg - 15kg (6lbs - 33lbs) Height- 106cm - 183cm (42in - 72in)
Skin Type and Colour	Feathery Skin. Grey, Brown, Black and White.
Habitat	Arid islands and coastal waters
Diet	Omnivore
Predator	Coyote, Cat and Humans
Prey	Fish, Turtles and Crabs

Physical and Behavioural Characteristics and Nature of Pelican Bird

Physical Appearance of Pelican - Pelicans are large birds with long bills that have a down curved hook at the end of the upper mandible and a wide gular pouch attached to the lower jaw. The pouch is formed into a basket for gathering fish and sometimes rainwater by the slender rami of the lower bill and the flexible tongue muscles, yet the tongue itself is small enough not to obstruct the swallowing of large fish. Their neck is long, and their legs are short and sturdy, with huge, completely webbed feet. They are among the heaviest flying birds, but due to air spaces in the bones and beneath the skin, they are surprisingly light for their apparent mass, allowing them to float high in the water with a short and square tail. The wings are long and broad and have an extremely large number of secondary flight feathers designed for soaring and gliding flights.
Distribution of Pelicans Around the World - Except for Antarctica, all eight species of pelican can be found on every continent. They tend to prefer warmer climates, yet they may be found almost anywhere. North America and Mexico are home to the American white pelican. North America, northern South America, the Caribbean, and the Galapagos Islands are all home to the brown pelican. In Central and South America, the Peruvian species can be found. From the eastern Mediterranean to South Africa, the big white pelican can be found. Australian pelicans can be found in Australia, as the name suggests. They can also be found in New Guinea, New Zealand, and some of the nearby islands. Pink-backed pelicans are native to Africa and Arabia, with a brief appearance in Madagascar. Finally, Asia is home to the Dalmatian and spot-billed pelicans.
Habitat - Pelicans seem to favour warmer climates, but they can reproduce as far south as 45 degrees south and north as 60 degrees north. They prefer to live and hunt in interior and coastal water bodies, while polar regions, the open ocean, and isolated islands are largely devoid of them. Many of the world's coasts, as well as lakes and rivers, are home to pelicans. They are gregarious birds that move in flocks and are frequently strung out in a line. They also breed in colonies, which are often found on islands.
Diet - Some species will fly low in groups and appear to be swimming and thus many assume whether or not can Pelicans swim. They do so by driving schools of fish into the shallows before catching them. Other species will soar above the water's surface and dive for fish. These birds are carnivores who eat mostly fish as a diet. Carp, shiners, mullet, and minnows are among their favourite fish, though preferences vary by species. Amphibians, crustaceans, insects, other birds, and even small mammals are all prey for them. Pelicans can dine in groups or alone, but Dalmatians and pink-backed pelicans prefer to eat alone. Brown and Peruvian pelicans see their prey from tremendous heights before diving into the water to get it.
The Behaviour of Pelican Fishing - The most curious question among the people is where does a Pelican store fish. It is indeed a unique behaviour that is displayed by the Pelicans while fishing. Many pelicans catch fish by swimming in groups. By beating their wings on the surface, they can form a line or a "U" shape and force fish into shallow water. Pelicans just sweep up fish that congregate in the shallows. The brown pelican, on the other hand, dives from above and catches fish (typically a type of herring called menhaden) in its bill. Pelicans do not keep fish in their pouches; instead, they utilize them to catch them and then tip them back to drain the water and consume the fish right away. The American white pelican's bill can carry up to 3 gallons of water. To obtain food, young pelicans insert their bills into their parents' throats.
Reproduction Cycle of Pelican - Pelicans breed in large colonies, and each pair choose a tiny nesting region that they defend against other birds. During the breeding season, they are monogamous, and both parents look after the chicks. Both parents incubate two or three eggs laid by the female bird in the nest, which is normally built of sticks. When it comes to mating, men employ a variety of strategies to entice females. Some pelican species can only mate during certain seasons, while others can mate all year. During courtship, males in several species change the colour of their pouch and neck feathers to attract females. Both sexes contribute to the construction of nests, which are often made of feathers, leaves, and sticks. The courtship ritual of ground-nesting species is intricate, with multiple males racing after one female. Males in tree-nesting species advertise for females in a more straightforward courting.
Three to Ten Days Before Egg - Laying, copulation happens at the nest. The nests are built by both men and females using feathers, leaves, and sticks. Depending on the species, females can deposit one to six eggs, which require 30 to 36 days to incubate. Both the Pelican parents stand on top of the eggs to incubate them. The eggs hatch in the sequence in which they were laid, with the first chick being the largest. Hatchling chicks emerge from the nest naked and pink, darkening to great or black within 14 days before being covered in white or grey down. The feathers of immature pelicans are darker than those of their parents. Young pelicans eat by putting their beaks into their parents' gullets and retrieving regurgitated fish.
Chicks begin to congregate in pods of other young birds when they are around 25 days old. Parents are aware of their children and only feed them. By two months, they are venturing more afield and swimming, as well as practising communal feeding. They leave the nest after 12 weeks, sometimes staying with their parents but rarely being fed by them. Pelicans reach sexual maturity between the ages of three and four.
Threats and Predators - These birds have few predators due to their great size. Cats, as well as wild dogs and coyotes, are among their predators. Humans, on the other hand, pose the greatest threat to their survival. Brown pelicans were nearly wiped off due to the usage of the chemical DDT in the twentieth century, which caused their eggshells to shrink. Development intruded on pelican nesting habitats as more people migrated to coastal areas. The brown pelican population recovered when DDT was banned in 1972. They are no longer classified as endangered, although they are still considered vulnerable. Others prefer to hunt in regions where commercial fishers have strewn their nets and hooked their hooks. Birds become caught in them, and some fishermen just cut them free without removing the netting or hook, putting the birds' lives in jeopardy. Pelicans are also threatened by oil spills, water pollution, and chemical dumping.

Types of Pelicans

The most well-known feature of pelicans is their distinctive pouch. Pelicanidae is the taxonomic family of these huge aquatic birds, which includes eight different species. With an exception of two brown species, pelicans are mostly light-coloured.

Name	Scientific Name	Physical Description	Location in the World	Behaviour
American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	The enormous beak, which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females, contributes to a length of roughly 50–70 in (130–180 cm). Its wingspan is around 95–120 in (240–300 cm). The bill is broad and flat on top, with a massive neck sac below, and the iris, naked skin around the eye, and feet are bright orange in colour during the breeding season.	Southern California, the Gulf States, Mexico, and Central America are all destinations for northern breeding populations. Breeding populations can be found in Texas and Mexico.	When it comes to feeding, American white pelicans prefer to gather in groups of a dozen or more birds, as this allows them to cooperate and corral fish to one another. When this isn't practicable, such as in deep water, where fish can readily escape by diving out of reach, they prefer to forage on their own. However, the birds occasionally steal food from other birds, a behaviour known as kleptoparasitism.
Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	It has a wingspan of 2.03 to 2.28 m and measures 1 to 1.52 m in length. Adults weigh between 2 and 5 kg, which is roughly half the weight of the Peruvian and American white pelicans, which are also found in the Americas. In Florida, the average weight of 47 girls was 3.17 kg, while the average weight of 56 males was 3.7 kg. It has a large bill, measuring 280 to 348 mm in length, like all pelicans. It bears a brownish tinge to its mantle, scapulars, and feathers on the upper half of the wings. The dark bases of the smaller coverts give the leading edge of the wing a streaky look. The centre of the upper tail coverts that is the feathers above the tail is silvery-white, generating faint stripes.	Brown pelicans can be found all year in the United States. The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the southeastern coast are all worth visiting. They also travel to Central California in the winter and the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic coasts in the summer. They prefer to live near coastal beaches and lagoons.	The brown pelican is a social bird that spends the entire year in groups of both sexes. Brown pelicans fly in groups in level flight, with their heads tucked behind their shoulders and their bills resting on their folded necks. They may fly in a V formation, although they are more likely to fly in a single file or in regular lines low above the water's surface. They have narrower internal sections of the nostrils to keep water out of the nasal tube.
Peruvian Pelican	Pelecanus thagus	These birds have a white stripe running from the top of the bill to the crown and down the sides of the neck, giving them a gloomy appearance. On the top of their heads, they have long tufted feathers. It was once thought to be a brown pelican subspecies. The Peruvian Pelican is much larger, weighing between 5 and 7 kg, measuring 137 to 152 cm in length, and having a wingspan of around 228 cm or 7.5 ft.	It breeds in loose colonies from about 33.5° in central Chile to Piura in northern Peru, and it can be found as a visitor in southern Chile and Ecuador.	Pelicans can be found in inland and coastal waters, where they mostly eat fish, which they catch at or near the water's surface. They are gregarious birds that move in groups, cooperate in hunting, and breed in colonies.
Great White Pelican	Pelecanus onocrotalus	It has a 28.9 to 47.1 cm (11.4 to 18.5 in) large pink and yellow bill with a dull pale-yellow gular pouch and is 140 to 180 cm (55 to 71 inches) in length. The wingspan varies from 226 and 360 cm (7 ft 5 inches to 11 ft 10 inches). The male has a longer, straighter beak, while the female has a shorter, downward bending neck. Except on remiges, the plumage is mostly white, with a subtle pink tinge on the neck and a yellowish foundation on the fore-neck. The main feathers are black with white shafts at the bases, whiter tips, and short fringes on occasion. The secondary feathers are black as well, although they have a whitish fringe on them.	Eastern Europe, Africa, Northwest India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Myanmar are all home to the great white pelican.	The great white pelican is a gregarious bird that gathers in enormous flocks. It has a lot of aquatic adaptations. Its small, powerful legs and webbed feet push it through the water and help it take off from the water's surface. It is a graceful soaring bird in flight, with the head held close to and aligned with the body. A few sluggish wingbeats are followed by a glide in its flight. The long-winged pelicans, once airborne, are powerful fliers who frequently cruise in magnificent linear, circular, or V-formation groups.
Australian Pelican	Pelecanus conspicillatus	With a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.6 metres, the Australian pelican is a medium-sized pelican by pelican standards. The weight of these pelicans can range from 4 to 13 kg, with the majority being between 4.54 and 7.7 kg. Four unsexed Australian pelicans weighed an average of 5.5 kg. The pelican of Australia is mostly white in colour. A white panel on the upper wing and a white V on the rump contrast with the black primaries. The orbital skin and distal part of the bill change orange during courtship, while the pouch turns dark blue, pink, and scarlet. The bill and eye-ring of the non-breeding adult are pale yellows, and the pouch is pale pinkish.	Widespread in Australia and New Guinea's inland and coastal seas, as well as Fiji, sections of Indonesia, and as a vagrant in New Zealand.	The Australian pelican is designed to fly large distances. With a light skeleton and a wingspan of nearly eight feet, it is one of the largest pelicans in the pelican family and can stay aloft all day and all night, riding far and high on rising thermals.
Pink-backed pelican	Pelecanus rufescens	It has a length of 125–155 cm (49–61 in), a wingspan of 2.15–2.9 m (7.1–9.5 ft), and a body mass of 4–7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). The bill ranges in length from 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in). [2] [3] The plumage is grey and white, with a reddish tint on the back at times. The pouch is normally grey and the top of the bill is yellow. Long feather plumes adorn the heads of breeding adults.	Africa, Seychelles, and Southwestern Arabia	Pink-baked Pelicans build their nests in trees, frequently near water, as well as on sandy islands, mangroves, and even close to people. The trees, on the other hand, die as a result of the weight of the nests on their limbs. In regions where there is plenty of food, the Pink-baked Pelican roosts on cliffs, coral reefs, sand dunes, and occasionally on piers or walls.
Dalmatian pelican	Pelecanus crispus	Length 1.60–1.80 m (5.2–5.9 ft), wingspan 2.70–3.20 m (8.9–10.5 ft), weight 10–12 kg (22–26 lb) The Dalmatian has curly nape feathers, grey legs, and silvery-white (rather than pure white) plumage, which distinguishes it from other big species. Adult Dalmatian pelicans change colour from silvery-grey to a dingier brownish-grey cream colour in the winter. Immature white pelicans have a pink face patch, but immature grey pelicans don't. The loose feathers around the Dalmatian pelican's forehead can produce a W-shaped appearance on the face just above the bill. It features an orange-red lower jaw and pouches against a yellow upper mandible during the breeding season. The entire bill is a slightly dull yellow in the winter.	South-eastern Europe to India and China.	Dalmatian pelicans may have the least social impulses among a highly gregarious family in general. When compared to most other pelican species, this species prefers to nest in small groups and may even nest alone.
Spot-billed Pelican	Pelecanus philippensis	Although the spot-billed pelican is a little bird, it is nonetheless a huge bird. It has a length of 125–152 cm (49–60 in) and weighs 4.1–6 kg (9.0–13.2 lb). The majority of the bird is white, with a grey crest, hindneck, and brownish tail. The curled feathers on the back of the neck form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish in colour, with prominent pale patches on both sides of the upper mandible. The bill's (or nail's) tip is yellow to orange. The skin at the base of the beak is dark in breeding plumage, and the orbital patch is pink.	Southern Asia Region from southern Pakistan across India And east to Indonesia and In Philippines	They are very quiet, yet they might hiss, grunt, or snap their bills at their nests. Some early descriptions of nesting colonies stated that they were distinguished by their stillness, although the majority described them as boisterous.

Pelican Fun Facts

Pelicans can soar up to 10,000 feet in the air. Brown pelicans have a wingspan of about 6-7 feet and are the smallest of the eight species of pelicans found in Northwest Florida.
The beak pouch can contain up to three gallons of water, more than three times the capacity of this animal's stomach.
Only the brown pelican dive-bombs into the sea to capture fish, swooping down from heights of 60 to 70 feet.
A 30-million-year-old pelican skull discovered in the Oligocene strata of France is the oldest known pelican fossil.
Many people believe it is used to keep food as if it were a built-in lunchbox.
Brown pelicans have a short “marriage” and are only monogamous for one breeding season. Following that, it's back to dating.
A very interesting American Pelican Facts among many is that something strange occurs to adults every year. Late March to early May is the breeding season for American white pelicans. When it arrives, both male and female sexually mature birds develop a broad, flat yellow or orange "horn" on their top bills. The fibrous structures fall off in May, only to be replaced with brand new ones the following season.

FAQs on Pelican

Q.1. Is it Possible to Keep a Pelican as a Pet?

Answer. Since pelicans are protected under the Migratory Bird Act, owning one as a pet is banned in many regions. These are wild animals that require a lot of room to fly and a lot of fish to eat. In a private context, this can be tough to deliver.

Q.2. What is the Best Way to Look After a Pelican Bird?

Answer. Pelicans in zoos are provided plenty of enclosure space for flight, as well as a variety of perches at various heights and water sources for wading, floating, and eating fish. They are fed a diet consisting entirely of, you guessed it, fish. Sardines, smelt, herring, trout, and mackerel are regularly fed to pelicans, depending on the species.

Q.3. Why is the Pelican Bird Believed to be a Redeemer?

Answer. The pelican is seen as a symbol of Christ the Redeemer in the Christian faith. The white pelican's long beak is equipped with a sack that acts as a container for the small fish it feeds its young. The bird pushes the sack against its neck in such a way that it appears to open its breast with its bill while feeding them. The reddish hue of its breast plumage and the redness of its beak tip contributed to the folkloristic belief that it took blood from its breast. The Physiologus saw the pelican's movement as a particularly fitting symbol of Christ the Redeemer, so understood.