Pelicans are aquatic birds that are currently included in the order Pelecaniforme, family Pelicanidae and genus Pelecanus. They are easily distinguishable birds in the bodies of water where they live due to their large beaks, with the presence of a bag in the lower part of these known as the gular sac.
Pelicans are particularly gregarious birds that carry out practically all their important processes in groups, so that they establish numerous colonies in the ecosystems where they are found, which by the way are not few, since they are distributed in America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
In this article on our site, we want to present you with information about the types of pelicans,so we invite you to continue reading so you can learn a little more about the species that currently exist.
Great White or Common Pelican
The great white or common pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a fairly large bird, having a wingspan of up to3.60 m The males are larger and heavier than the females. Male pelicans can weigh up to about 15 kg , while female pelicans weigh about 9 kg The beak reaches about 50 cm in the case of the former, and up to 40 cmin the case of females. It is a bird with white feathers, but the wings have black coloration at the tips and in the lower area. The large bill is mainly yellow, but in addition, it can also have blue coloration.
It has a wide distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Although it is generally a migratory species, there are populations that have sedentary and scattered. The great white pelican forms colonies from about 200 to 40,000 pairs The habitat is varied, consisting of lakes, lagoons, swamps, large rivers characterized by being brackish or saline and shallow. Similarly, lives in estuaries and seacoasts without the presence of the coastline.
It is an exclusively piscivorous bird, catching fish of up to 600 g. This activity is carried out in a group, forming a kind of horseshoe, surrounding the fish and forcing them to move to shallow areas where they will be easily caught. Once the prey is captured, it eats it whole.
Regarding reproduction, makes nests in colonies exclusive to the species or possibly with another, on the ground or on mounds of branches, but always in areas that are not very accessible to predators. The male will have some color changes to court the female, who will lay about two eggs on average, and the incubation of these will be between 29 and 36 days.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared the great white or common pelican in the category of least concern, however, is a species affected by the habitat alteration,contamination mainly with chemical agents and indiscriminate hunting.
Pink-backed Pelican
The Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) is a small bird compared to other pelican species. Its wingspan reaches up to about 2.9 m The beak oscillates between 30 and 38 cmand is yellow in color, but the bag tends to be gray in color. The body weight range is 4 to 7 kg The coloration of the plumage is between white and gray. In addition, it comes to present a pale pinkish tone on the back.
The pink-backed pelican is widely distributed in Africa, as well as in southern Arabia and India. It has a punctual migration within the areas it inhabits according to seasonal environmental conditions. It is present in different ecosystems, preferably calm waters, shallow and with vegetation such as lakes, swamps, rivers with slight currents, seasonal wetlands, floodplains, saline waters or alkaline, estuaries and coastlines.
The diet of this bird is exclusively based on fish, consuming mainly those of the Haplochromis genus and the tilapia group. It consumes prey up to about 450 gr, which it can capture solitary or cooperatively, forming small groups with other individuals of the species.
The nesting sites are preferably trees, which sometimes die due to the repeated and group use of these birds. They can also make nests on the ground, sand islands or mangroves. It builds nests with small sticks, which it will use repeatedly if the tree does not fall. The species can reproduce throughout the year, but there is a tendency to do so at the end of the rainy season. Nesting is done in colonies of few pairs or up to 500 approximately.
The pink-backed pelican is listed as least concern, but it is not immune to certain anthropogenic impacts that affect the species. Such is the case of the alteration of their habitat due to activities such as drainage and cultivation. Deforestation of nesting trees and the accumulation of certain toxins in the body affect the reproductive success of the pink-backed pelican.
Dalmatian Pelican
The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is also a large pelican, with a wingspan ranging from2.70 to 3.20m Weight varies between 10 to 15 kg approximately, males being larger than females. females. The bill varies in length from 36 to 45 cm , depending on the individual. On the head it has a cluster of ruffled feathers, the coloration of the wings is silvery white except for the tips and the lower area, which are eventually dark. The upper beak is grey, as are the legs, while the lower beak is orange.
The Dalmatian pelican has a distribution range in regions of both Central and Eastern Asia, as well as Eastern Europe. In Asia it has behaviors migratory, while in Europe more of a dispersive type. The habitat is mainly made up of freshwater bodies, but they can also live in coastal areas, deltas and estuaries.
He feeds in a group and eventually he can do it individually. It primarily prefers fish in wetlands of freshwater, but if found in brackish water, it may consume eels, mullet, and shrimp, among others.
Generally found in colonies of up to 250 pairs, although it can also be found alone. Establishes monogamous relationships, and nest sites are stationary fixed or floating islands of vegetation. For the construction of the nest, it uses branches and sticks, which it accumulates up to approximately 1m high. It is used to trampling the vegetation around the nest, as long as no water enters and mud forms, it can use the same space for several consecutive years.
The Dalmatian pelican has been declared as near threatened,due to various causes such as habitat alteration, dredging of wetlands where inhabits, poaching and pollution and impact of tourism in some of the areas. Fishing overexploitation is another aspect that affects the species due to the decrease in food.
Sharp-billed Pelican
The Point-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), or Eastern Pelican, is smaller than the previously described species. The average wingspan is 2.5m, with a body weight ranging from 4kg to nearly 6kgThe color of the wings is gray, but the tips are dark, between brown or black, while the lower area is dull white or pale pink. The bill may be pink or yellow with some black or blue spots, which are also on the opaque purple bag.
The Point-billed Pelican is native exclusively to Asia, and breeding populations are now distributed throughout Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It can be found in various types of wetlands, both freshwater and s altwater, open or vegetated.
The diet is generally based on fish, but may eventually include certain reptiles, amphibians and crustaceans. During fishing, it can submerge its beak in the water or its whole head to capture the prey, then deposit the animal in the bag and after expelling the water, it swallows the food whole.
At the time of playback they may exhibit brighter colorations. They have steady partners per reproductive season but not permanently throughout their lives. They develop a complex courtship system and then the males are the ones who carry the supplies for the construction of the nest, which will be in trees with a certain height. They nest in groups and each pair can usually have two eggs in incubation.
The Point-billed Pelican is Near Threatened due to human disturbances that alter the habitat, affecting nesting spaces and feeding this animal.
American White Pelican
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is the largest species on the continent The wingspan is in the range of the 2.4 m to 2.90 m, and the weights vary from 4.5 to 9 kg The plumage is practically white, with the exception of the external feathers that are black but can only be seen during flight. The beak and pouch are yellow or flesh colored, while the legs are pale yellow to orange.
This pelican species is native to North America and has a wide distribution in the region. It extends from inland to coastal areas of Canada, the United States and Mexico. During the winter it is in coastal areas and estuaries. It is then found in rivers, lakes, shallow marshes, and areas of water that do not freeze.
The feeding habits of the American white pelican are cooperative and they generally develop during the day, although occasionally during the breeding season they may do so at night. It feeds on fish, amphibians and crustaceans in shallow waters, but also on fish that live on the surface of deep waters.
The American White Pelican is currently considered Least Concern, although for a time it was quite affected due to habitat impact. Given the efforts for its conservation, it has led to a trend of population increase.
Other pelican species
In addition to the different types of pelicans mentioned above, we also identified the following species:
- Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus): it is native to Australia, it also lives in New Guinea, Indonesia, New Zealand, among others. It has a wingspan of up to 2.5 m, with a weight close to 7 kg. Breeding adults are white with black and have a large pink bill. It is listed as least concern.
- Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus): The species is restricted to the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile. It is dark in color with the presence of a white stripe that goes down from the head to the neck, with an orange beak and a gray bag. On average, the wingspan is almost 2.5 m and the weight is 7 kg. It is considered in the category of near threatened.
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis): it has a wide distribution in America, both on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, from the United States States to Chile and from Canada to Venezuela. It is located in shallow waters of the coasts and estuaries. It is brown in color, with a wingspan that does not exceed 3 m and a maximum weight of 4.5 kg. It is included in the category of least concern.
