Dalmatian pelican
Dalmatian pelican | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Pelecaniformes |
Family: | Pelecanidae |
Genus: | Pelecanus |
Species: | P. crispus
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Binomial name | |
Pelecanus crispus Bruch, 1832
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Distribution map of Dalmatian pelican Breeding Resident Non-breeding Passage
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The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest member of the
As with other pelicans, the males are
The species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution and construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.
Description
This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living flying bird species. It measures 160 to 183 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 0 in) in length, 7.25–15 kg (16.0–33.1 lb) in weight and 245 to 351 cm (8 ft 0 in to 11 ft 6 in) in wingspan.
The somewhat similar-looking great white pelican broadly overlaps in size but has greater size sexual dimorphism: female great whites can be noticeably smaller than female Dalmatians but male individuals of the two species are essentially the same size and weight.[8][14] However, the Dalmatian differs from this other very large species in that it has curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white (rather than pure white) plumage. In winter, adult Dalmatian pelicans go from silvery-grey to a dingier brownish-grey cream colour.[16] Immature birds are grey and lack the pink facial patch of immature white pelicans. The loose feathers around the forehead of the Dalmatian pelican can form a W-like-shape on the face right above the bill.[14] In the breeding season it has an orange-red lower mandible and pouch against a yellow upper mandible. In winter, the whole bill is a somewhat dull yellow. The bill, at 36 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in) long, is the second largest of any bird, after the Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).[14] The bare skin around the eye can vary from yellow to purplish in colour.[17] Among standard measurements, compared to the great white pelican, the Dalmatian's tarsus is slightly shorter, at 11.6 to 12.2 cm (4.6 to 4.8 in), but its tail and wing chord length are notably larger, at 22 to 24 cm (8.7 to 9.4 in) long and 68 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in), respectively.[18][19] When the Dalmatian pelican is in flight, unlike other pelicans, its wings are solid grayish-white with black tips.[14] It is an elegant soaring bird. When a whole flock of Dalmatian pelicans is in flight, all its members move in graceful synchrony, their necks held back like a heron's.
The Dalmatian pelican is often silent, as most pelicans tend to be, although it can be fairly vocal during the mating season, when it may engage in a wide range of guttural, deep vocalisations, including barks, hisses and grunts.[16]
Distribution and habitat
The Dalmatian pelican is found in lakes, rivers, deltas and estuaries. Compared to the great white pelican, the Dalmatian is not as tied to lowland areas and will nest in suitable wetlands with many elevations. It is less opportunistic in breeding habitat selection than the great white, usually returning to a traditional breeding site year after year unless it becomes completely unsuitable. During the winter, Dalmatian pelicans usually stay on ice-free lakes in Europe or jheels (seasonal lakes) in India. They also visit, typically during winter, inshore areas along sheltered coasts for feeding.[14]
Movements
This pelican usually
In general, the species prefers relatively warm temperatures. During periods where the climate was warmer, the Dalmatian pelican was far more widespread in Europe (today its European range is restricted to the southeastern part of the continent). Notably, a large number of
Behaviour
Feeding
This pelican feeds almost entirely on
Breeding
Among a highly social family in general, Dalmatian pelicans may have the least social inclinations. This species naturally nests in relatively small groups compared to most other pelican species and sometimes may even nest alone. However, small colonies are usually formed, which regularly include upwards of 250 pairs (especially historically). Occasionally, Dalmatian pelicans may mix in with colonies of great white pelicans.
The nest is a moderately-sized pile of grass, reeds, sticks, and feathers, usually measuring about 1 m (3.3 ft) deep and 63 cm (25 in) across. Nests are usually located on or near the ground, often being placed on dense floating vegetation. Nests tend to be flimsy until cemented together by droppings. Breeding commences in March or April, about a month before the great white pelican breeds. The Dalmatian pelican lays a clutch of one to six eggs, with two eggs being the norm. Eggs weigh between 120 and 195 g (4.2 and 6.9 oz).[22] Incubation, which is split between both parents, lasts for 30 to 34 days. The chicks are born naked but soon sprout white down feathers. Aggressive behaviors between siblings are very rare and generally non-fatal. When the young are 6 to 7 weeks of age, the pelicans frequently gather in "pods". The offspring fledge at around 85 days and become independent at 100 to 105 days old. Nesting success relies on local environmental conditions, with anywhere from 58% to 100% of hatchlings successfully surviving to adulthood. Sexual maturity is thought to be obtained at three or four years of age.[14][23]
Predators
Predation on Dalmatian pelicans is relatively poorly known despite the species' threatened status. Adult birds have no natural enemies and the nesting sites often insure limited nest predation, though carnivorous mammals which eat eggs and nestlings can access nests when water levels are low enough for them to cross, as has been recorded with
Status
This species of pelican has declined greatly throughout its range, more so than the white pelican. It is possible that up to 10,000–20,000 pelicans exist at the species level.[17] During the 20th century, the species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline for reasons that are not entirely understood. The most likely reason was habitat loss due to human activities such as the drainage of wetlands and land development. Colonies are regularly disturbed by human activity, and, like all pelicans, the parents may temporarily leave their nest if threatened, which then exposes the chicks to the risk of predation. Occasionally, Dalmatian pelicans may be shot by fishermen who believe the birds are dangerously depleting the fish population and hence threatening their livelihood.[16] While such killings are generally on a small scale, the worry that these pelicans over-exploit the fishing stock persists in many locales. Another probable reason for the decline in the species' population is poaching. In Mongolia, the local people clandestinely kill these pelicans to use or sell their bills as pouches.[16] On a typical day in a commercial Mongolian marketplace, as many as fifty pelican bills may be on offer for sale, and they are considered such a rare prize that ten horses and thirty sheep are considered a fair price to trade for a single pelican.[31] Due to exploitation at all stages of the life cycle, the species is critically endangered in its Mongolian range, with a total population of fewer than 130 individual birds.[17][31] Dalmatian pelicans also regularly fly into power-lines and are killed by electrocution.[17] In Greece, pelicans are often so disturbed by power boats, usually ones bearing tourists—that they become unable to feed and die of malnourishment.[14] In 1994 in Europe there were over a thousand breeding pairs, most of them in Greece, but also in Ukraine, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria (Srebarna Nature Reserve) and Albania (Karavasta Lagoon). They have been considered extinct in Croatia since the 1950s, although a single Dalmatian pelican was observed there in 2011.[32] The largest single remaining colony is at Small Prespa Lake (shared between Albania and Greece), with around 1,600 pairs, with approximately 450 pairs left in the Danube Delta.[17] The country with the largest breeding population today, including about 70% of pairs or possibly over 3,000 pairs, is Russia. Worldwide, there are an estimated 3,000–5,000 breeding pairs.[17] One report of approximately 8,000 Dalmatian pelicans in India turned out to be a congregation of misidentified great white pelicans.[14]
The Dalmatian pelican is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (
References
- . Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Birdlife International
- ISBN 978-0-7894-7764-4
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.
- ISBN 978-1-55297-777-4
- ISBN 978-0-19-562167-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-395-60291-1
- ^ Birds of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: A Photographic Guide by Frédéric Jiguet & Aurélien Audevard. Princeton University Press (2017), 978-0691172439.
- ^ a b Gilbert, M, P; Jarvis, E, D; Li, B; Li, C; The Avian Genome Consortium; Wang, J; Zhang, G (2014): Genomic data of the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus). GigaScience Database.
- ^ Cramp, S., & Perrins, C. M. (1977). 1994. The birds of the western Palearctic. Vol. 1–9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ Greenwood, J. J., Gregory, R. D., Harris, S., Morris, P. A., & Yalden, D. W. (1996). Relations between abundance, body size and species number in British birds and mammals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 351(1337), 265-278.
- ^ ISBN 978-84-87334-10-8
- ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dalmatian pelican videos, photos and facts – Pelecanus crispus Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine. ARKive. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) – BirdLife species factsheet. Birdlife.org (1998-10-03). Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) Archived 2013-04-15 at archive.today. Avis.indianbiodiversity.org. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ Great White Pelican – Pelecanus onocrotalus Archived 2013-01-13 at archive.today. Avis.indianbiodiversity.org. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ISSN 1474-919X.
- ^ .
- ^ Dalmatian Pelican – Pelecanus crispus : WAZA : World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. WAZA. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ Crivelli, A. J., D. Hatzilacou, and G. Catsadorakis. "The breeding biology of the Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus." Ibis 140.3 (1998): 472-481.
- ^ a b Crivelli, A. J. (April 1996).Action Plan for the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) In Europe. europa.eu
- ^ Catsadorakis, Giorgos. "Artificial Nesting Structures for Eurasian pelicans."
- ^ Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus). Planet of Birds (2011-06-08). Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ Catsadorakis, G., Onmuş, O., Bugariu, S., Gül, O., Hatzilacou, D., Hatzofe, O., & Rudenko, A. (2015). Current status of the Dalmatian pelican and the great white pelican populations of the Black Sea/Mediterranean flyway. Endangered Species Research, 27(2), 119-130.
- ^ Crivelli, A., & Vizi, O. (1981). The Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus Bruch 1832, a recently world-endangered bird species. Biological Conservation, 20(4), 297-310.
- ^ Krivenko, V. G. (1994). Pelicans in the former USSR (Vol. 27). International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau.
- ^ Peja, N., Sarigul, G., Siki, M., & Crivelli, A. J. (1996). The Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus, nesting in Mediterranean lagoons in Albania and Turkey. Colonial Waterbirds, 184-189.
- ^ a b c Nyambayar, B.; Bräunlich, A.; Tseveenmyadag, N.; Shar, S. & Gantogs, S. (2007). "Conservation of the critically endangered east Asian population of Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus in western Mongolia" (PDF). BirdingASIA. 7: 68–74. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-27.
- ^ "The Dalmatian Pelican Returns to the Neretva Delta, Croatia". World Migratory Bird Day. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Trapped Dalmatian pelicans hand-fed in frozen Caspian Sea. Bbc.co.uk (2012-02-21). Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet.
- European Commission for Environment: Action plan for the Dalmatian Pelican (1996)
- Dalmatian pelican photo gallery by Jari Peltomäki
- Conference Proceedings of the 2009 Adriatic Flyway Conference in Ulcinj, Montenegro
- Feeding of juvenile Dalmatian pelican video by Damyan Petkov