Pelican
Pelican Facts
| Size | 49-72 inches (125-183 cm) |
| Speed | Up to 40 mph (65 km/h) |
| Weight | 8-26 pounds (3.6-12 kg) |
| Lifespan | 15-25 years |
| Food | Fish, shrimps, turtles |
| Predators | Cats, coyotes |
| Habitat | Tropical and subtropical oceans |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Pelicans |
| Scientific name | Pelecanus |
| Characteristics | Large bird with a long bill and a throat pouch |
Main Characteristics
Pelicans are among the heaviest flying birds in the world. Despite their weight, they can surprisingly fly far and high. The most striking features of these large water birds are their exceptionally long beak and the extremely stretchable throat pouch underneath. This elastic skin pouch can hold up to 11 liters of water – which is double the volume that their own stomach can accommodate.
Species
The pelican family includes a total of 8 species worldwide: Brown Pelican, Chilean Pelican, Gray Pelican, Pink-Backed Pelican, Horned Pelican, Rose Pelican, Curly-Headed Pelican, and Glasses Pelican.
Distribution and Habitat
Pelicans are found almost everywhere around the globe – except in the Antarctica. They prefer warm climates and typically choose habitats near coastal waters, large lakes, river mouths, and wetlands.
Life Style
Pelicans are diurnal creatures. They dedicate a significant amount of time to foraging for food. These birds are quite social, living in flocks and forming colonies that can number in the hundreds. Often, they share their habitat with other waterfowl such as flamingos and cormorants.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
The largest pelican is the Dalmatian pelican, boasting a wingspan of 11.3 feet (3.45 meters) and weighing around 26 pounds (12 kilograms). Only the Andean condor and the wandering albatross have a greater wingspan. Additionally, the Rosy pelican, Rhinoceros pelican, and Brown pelican are also notably large and heavy. The smallest species is the Brown pelican.
| Pelican | Wingspan | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Pelican | 8.2 ft (2.5 m) | 10 lb (4.5 kg) |
| Peruvian Pelican | 8.1 ft (2.48 m) | 15.4 lb (7 kg) |
| Spot-Billed Pelican | 8.2 ft (2.5 m) | 11 lb (5 kg) |
| Pink-Backed Pelican | 7.8 ft (2.4 m) | 15.4 lb (7 kg) |
| American White Pelican | 9.8 ft (3 m) | 19.8 lb (9 kg) |
| Great White Pelican | 9.1 ft (2.8 m) | 24.2 lb (10-11 kg) |
| Dalmatian Pelican | 11.3 ft (3.45 m) | 26.4 lb (10-12 kg) |
| Australian Pelican | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) | 18 lb (8.2 kg) |
The Record-Breaking Bill
The official length record in the entire bird kingdom is held by the pelican with glasses: Its bill reaches an impressive length of 19.2 inches (49 cm).
The Huge Throat Pouch
• More Fits in There Than in the Stomach!
A pelican's bill can hold up to 3 gallons (11 liters) of water. More specifically, this is in the skin pouch located in the throat, which is connected to the lower bill. Interestingly, a pelican's stomach is only about half that size.
• Why Does the Pelican Need a Throat Pouch?
The stretchy skin pouch on the lower bill acts like a large net or ladle during hunting. The bird opens its mouth while diving and "floods" the pouch with water. When it closes its mouth, the water flows out the sides, leaving the tasty fish behind to end up in its hungry stomach.
Diet
Pelicans are carnivores. More specifically, they are fish-eaters. Their appetite is enormous: they need to consume 10% of their body weight in fish every day, which is about 2.6 pounds (1.2 kg). If there isn't enough fish available, they will turn to amphibians, crustaceans, and large insects. They are a bit like vacuum cleaners: when they are hungry, they suck up anything edible.
Behavior
Hunting Behavior
• Group Hunting
Most pelicans are team players. To catch as many fish as possible at once, several pelicans form a "U" shape and flap their wings on the water's surface to drive a school of fish into shallow waters. This could also be described as the "horseshoe tactic".
• Only the Brown Pelican Is a Dive Hunter
The Brown Pelican is the only one that does not hunt in groups and does not scoop fish from the water. It hunts alone and employs spectacular plunge dives. From heights of 65-100 feet (20-30 meters), it dives straight down into the sea to catch fish.
I once observed Brown Pelicans while they were hunting. They shot down towards the water's surface at breakneck speed, plunged in, and then popped back up like a cork – with a fish in their beak! I could have watched for hours.
Silke from animalfunfacts.net
Kleptoparasitism
• Seagulls Steal from Pelicans
Seagulls adore Brown Pelicans. They cheekily land right on the pelican's head and wait for it to let the water drain from its throat pouch after a dive. As soon as the pelican slightly opens its beak and a fish slips out sideways, the seagull snatches it. This behavior is known as kleptoparasitism, derived from "klepto" ("to steal") and "parasitism" ("to eat at another's expense"). One could also say: parasitism through theft.
• Pelicans Steal from Cormorants
What seagulls can do, so can pelicans. They lie in wait for cormorants at the water's surface. When a cormorant surfaces with its catch, the pelican aggressively pressures, shakes, or pushes it underwater until the cormorant panics and drops its prey.
Abilities and Senses
They Can Invert Their Throat Pouch
To cool off (thermoregulation) or to get rid of fish bones, pelicans exhibit a rather peculiar behavior: they tilt their heads back, open their beaks, and press their necks against the inside of their throat pouch. They turn the throat pouch inside out like a piece of clothing.
Pelicans Fly Long Distances
Pelicans are like long-haul aircraft! They make optimal use of thermals (rising warm air) and can fly continuously for up to 24 hours. During this time, they can reach speeds of up to 35 mph (56 km/h) and cover distances of up to 310 miles (500 km).
Pelicans Fly Surprisingly High
Thanks to their unique, hollow, and extremely lightweight bones, these heavy birds can achieve an impressive altitude of over 9,840 feet (3,000 meters).
Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy in the wild is between 15 to 25 years.
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
Adult pelicans have very few predators, with the exception of jaguars, leopards, crocodiles, alligators, and roaming dogs. The greatest threat is to their eggs and chicks, which are preyed upon by birds such as sea eagles, kites, gulls, and crows. Mammals like foxes, jackals, raccoons, and wild boars also raid their nests.
Humans
• Environmental Toxins
The brown pelican nearly faced extinction in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT (just like the peregrine falcon!). This insecticide caused the eggshells to become so thin that the chicks could not survive. Fortunately, the population was able to recover after a ban on DDT.
• Fishing
Pelicans often get tangled in discarded or broken fishing lines or nets and drown.
Importance for the Ecosystem
Pelicans act as the health police of the water. They often catch sick, weak, or slow animals, helping to prevent the rapid spread of diseases and parasites.
Reproduction
Mating Season and Courtship
In temperate climates, the mating season typically begins in the spring, while in tropical areas, it can occur year-round or depend on the rainy season. Males attract females with eye-catching movements, stretching their beaks, and displaying their brightly colored throat pouches. Once a pair is formed, they stay together for the breeding season but usually choose new partners the following year.
Nest Building and Egg Laying
Pelicans nest on the ground or in trees and shrubs. Their nests are made from twigs, reeds, and grasses. The female usually lays 2-3 white eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which have a incubation period of about 30-36 days.
Incubating with Their Feet
Pelicans do not have a "brood patch" (bare skin areas on their bellies). Instead, they warm the eggs by standing on them with their large, warm webbed feet.
Raising the Young
The chicks are born naked and blind. Both parents feed them with regurgitated fish paste from their throat pouches. After 10-12 weeks, the young birds are ready to fly.
The Pelican Is Related To:
- Hamerkop
- Ibis
- Spoonbill
- Heron
- Shoebill
Animals in the Same Biome:
- Carp
- Cormorant
- Crustaceans
- Flamingo
- Gull
- Heron
- Herring
- Ibis
- Jackal
- Mullet
- Tilapia
- Turtles
- White Stork
Sources:
- Chlorinated Hydrocarbons and Eggshell Changes in Raptorial and Fish-Eating Birds (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Kleptoparasitism of Adult and Immature Brown Pelicans by Heermann's Gulls (https://www.researchgate.net)
- The kleptoparasitic and commensal association of Dalmatian Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) with Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) (https://www.researchgate.net)
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