Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus

The great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), also known as the eastern white pelican or rosy pelican, is one of the largest and most impressive flying birds in the world. With a wingspan of 2.3 to 3.6 meters (7.5 to 12 feet), it is surpassed in size only by the Dalmatian pelican and the wandering albatross. It is found across a vast range from southeastern Europe through the Middle East and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa.

Adult great white pelicans are predominantly white with a pale pink tinge on the wings, a long, heavy yellow-to-orange bill with a distensible throat pouch, and stout pink legs with webbed feet. The bare facial skin around the eye forms a characteristic patch, and during breeding season, adults develop a short yellowish crest on the nape.

Great white pelicans are highly gregarious, feeding, breeding, and migrating in large flocks. They are primarily freshwater birds, inhabiting shallow lakes, marshes, deltas, estuaries, and coastal lagoons. Breeding colonies can include thousands of pairs, with nests built on the ground from sticks and vegetation.

The great white pelican’s most remarkable feeding behavior involves cooperative fishing. Groups of 6 to 8 birds form a line or semicircle to herd fish into shallow water, beating their wings on the surface to create a barrier. Once fish are concentrated, the birds dip their heads synchronously to scoop them up in their enormous throat pouches, which can hold up to 13 liters (3.4 gallons) of water and fish.

Diet consists almost exclusively of fish, primarily cyprinids and cichlids, with an adult consuming 0.9 to 1.4 kilograms (2 to 3 pounds) of fish per day. Unlike brown pelicans, great white pelicans do not dive for food – they feed from the surface, swimming and dipping their heads underwater while keeping their bodies above the surface.

The great white pelican is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though some populations are declining due to habitat loss, pollution, and human disturbance at breeding sites.