Great White Pelican Factfile
Scientific
Name : Pelecanus onocrotalus
World Distribution
Great white
pelicans are found in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The ones in Africa
stay there all year, but the others fly south (migrate) to Africa in the winter
because they do not like cold weather.
Habitat
Great white
pelicans spend a great deal of their time in the water. They usually choose
large, freshwater lakes that have reed beds or small islands that can be used
as safe places to nest.
Feeding
They feed
mainly on fish, though they sometimes eat crustaceans ( shrimp-like creatures)
and have even been known to eat ducklings. They usually fish in shallow water.
Their very special way of fishing happens like this:
- Use pouch to scoop up
several litres of water with fish swimming in it.
- Lift head up and squeeze
pouch to get rid of water.
- Swallow fish.
They often use teamwork
when feeding: a group of 8-12 birds swim into a horseshoe shape to surround
the fish, then, all together, they plunge in their beaks and scoop them out.
Predators
Young pelicans could be
eaten by Egyptian vultures and eagles, and in some areas by jackals, hyenas
and lions. Adults are sometimes gobbled by crocodiles.
Breeding
Pelicans often breed in
large colonies of 40,000 to 50,000 pairs.
Nests are usually just a rough pile of twigs on the ground, sometimes not even
that. Two eggs are laid, which both parents keep warm by taking turns to rest
them on their feet. After 29-36 days the eggs hatch into bald, helpless chicks
which the parents feed from a special liquid that runs down their beaks.
The chicks are able to fly when they are 10 - 12 weeks old, but will not be
ready to breed themselves until they are aged 3-4.
Other interesting facts
-
Males are larger than
females and also have larger beaks.
-
The little hook on the
end of the beak is used for preening (combing) the feathers to keep them
in perfect condition for flying. Special oil keeps them waterproof.
-
Pelicans are surprisingly
light for their size (5 - 9 kg) because of air spaces in the bones and under
the skin. This helps with flying.
-
Although their lifespan
in the wild is 15 -20 years, a pelican in captivity once lived to be 60
years old!
Facts
and Figures
|
Name
|
great
white pelican |
Type
of animal
|
bird |
Where
found
|
Africa,
Europe |
Habitat
|
lakes |
Diet
|
carnivorous |
Average
length
|
170
cm |
Average
weight
|
9
kg |
Average
number of young per year
|
2 |
Egg
incubation
|
32
days |
Maximum
lifespan
|
27
years |
|
|
