Great white pelican

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the North American bird also called "white pelican", see American white pelican.

Great white pelican
in Lake Ziway, Ethiopia

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Pelecanidae
Genus: Pelecanus
Species:
P. onocrotalus
Binomial name
Pelecanus onocrotalus
Range of P. onocrotalus
  Breeding
  Resident
  Non-breeding

The great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or simply white pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes.

The great white pelican has been rated as a species of 

IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN). It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Annexure I under the EU Birds Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. It is also listed within 108 Special Protection Areas in the European Union. It occurs within 43 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in its European range. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds
 (AEWA) is applied.

Description

Great white pelican skimming the sea surface, in Namibia
in St James' Park, London
in Ethiopia

The great white pelican is a huge bird—only the

Palaearctic are usually around 11 kg (24 lb), with few exceeding 13 kg (29 lb).[8] It has a bill measuring 34.7 to 47.1 cm (13.7 to 18.5 in). The female measures about 148 cm (58 in) in length, and is considerably less bulky, weighing 5.4 to 9 kg (12 to 20 lb), and has a bill that measures 28.9 to 40.0 cm (11.4 to 15.7 in) in length.[8] In Lake Edward, Uganda, the average weight of 52 males was found to 11.45 kg (25.2 lb) and in 22 females it was 7.59 kg (16.7 lb). In South Africa, the average weight of males was 9.6 kg (21 lb) and of females was 6.9 kg (15 lb). Thus the sexual dimorphism is especially pronounced in this species (perhaps the greatest known in any extant pelican), as at times the male can average more than 30% more massive than the female. The great white pelican rivals the kori bustard, which has even more pronounced sexual dimorphism, as the heaviest flying bird to reside in Africa (both averaging perhaps slightly heavier than the cape vulture and the wattled crane). There are a small few slightly heavier flying birds in the Eurasian portions of the range.[9][10] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 60 to 73 cm (24 to 29 in), the tail 16 to 21 cm (6.3 to 8.3 in), and the tarsus 13 to 14.9 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long. Standard measurements from different areas indicate that pelicans from the Western Palaearctic
are somewhat larger than those from Asia and Africa.

The male has a downward bend in the neck and the female has a shorter, straighter beak. The

secondary feathers.[2] The legs are yellow-flesh to pinkish orange. Both male and female are similar, but the female is smaller and has brighter orange facial skin in the breeding season.[3]

The juvenile has darker, brownish underparts that are palest at the rump, center of the belly, and

underparts and back are initially browner and darker than those of the Dalmatian pelican, and the underwing is strongly patterned, similar to the juvenile brown pelican.[3]

The great white pelican is distinguished from all other pelicans by its plumage. Its face is naked and the feathering on its forehead tapers to a fine point, whereas other species are completely feathered. In flight, the white underwing with black remiges of the adult are similar only to those of the American white pelican (P. erythrorhynchos), but the latter has white inner secondary feathers.[8] It differs from the Dalmatian pelican in its pure white – rather than greyish-white – plumage, a bare pink facial patch around the eye, and pinkish legs.[15] The spot-billed pelican (P. philippensis) of Asia is slightly smaller than the great white pelican, with greyish tinged white plumage, and a paler, duller-colored bill.[5] Similarly, the pink-backed pelican (P. rufescens) is smaller, with brownish-grey plumage, a light pink to off-grey bill, and a pinkish wash on the back.[15]

The bird is mostly silent but has a variety of low-pitched lowing, grunting, and growling calls. The flight call is a deep, quiet croak.,[15] while at breeding colonies, it gives deep moooo calls.[2]

Distribution and habitat

A pair in breeding condition in Walvis Bay, Namibia
In Bangladesh
Two white pelicans flying in formation (Botswana).

The breeding range of the great white pelican extends to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Chad, northern Cameroons, and Nigeria in Africa, and has been observed or reported breeding in Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.[16] In the 1990s, 6,700 to 11,000 breeding pairs in 23 to 25 breeding sites, were found in the Palearctic region.[17] A 1991 study noted about 3,070 to 4,300 pairs were present in the Soviet Union.[18] Only two breeding colonies are located in the Mediterranean basin, one having 250 to 400 pairs in Turkey and the other having 50 to 100 pairs in northern Greece.[17] The breeding colony at Lake Rukwa, Tanzania is the largest known breeding colony in Africa, followed by the Lake Shala, Ethiopia colony which is probably of crucial importance to the species in Africa.[16] The African population of about 75,000 pairs of the great white pelican is resident.

Srebarna Lake in Bulgaria. The pelicans arrive in the Danube in late March or early April and depart after breeding from September to late November.[3] Wintering locations for European pelicans are not exactly known but wintering birds may occur in northeastern Africa through Iraq to north India, with a particularly large number of breeders from Asia wintering around Pakistan and Sri Lanka.[3] Northern populations migrate to China, India, Myanmar, with stragglers reaching Java and Bali in Indonesia.[5] These are birds that are found mostly in lowlands, though in East Africa and Nepal may be found living at elevations of up to 1,372 m (4,501 ft).[3]

Overall, the great white pelican is one of the most widely distributed species. Although some areas still hold quite large colonies, it ranks behind the brown pelican and possibly the Australian pelican in overall abundance.[3] Europe now holds an estimated 7,345–10,000 breeding pairs, with over 4,000 pairs that are known to nest in Russia. During migration, more than 75,000 have been observed in Israel and, in winter, over 45,000 may stay in Pakistan. In all its colonies combined, 75,000 pairs are estimated to nest in Africa.[3] It is possibly extinct in Serbia and Montenegro, and regionally extinct in Hungary.[1]

Great white pelicans usually prefer shallow, (seasonally or tropical) warm

inselbergs and flat inshore islands off of Banc d'Arguin National Park.[3]

Behavior

Pelican taking off from the water in the Danube Delta, Romania
Rosy pelicans in full breeding plumage preening on shore

The great white pelican is highly sociable and often forms large flocks.[15] It is well adapted for aquatic life. The short strong legs and webbed feet propel it in water and aid a rather awkward takeoff from the water surface. In flight, it is an elegant soaring bird, with the head held close to and aligned with the body. Its flight consists of a few slow wingbeats followed by a glide.[11] Once aloft, the long-winged pelicans are powerful fliers, however, and often travel in spectacular linear, circular, or V-formation groups.[11]

Feeding

The great white pelican foraging in
Park of the Golden Head, Lyon

The great white pelican mainly

Common carp are preferred in Europe, mullets in China, and Arabian toothcarp in India.[3] In Africa, often the commonest cichlids, including many species in the Haplochromis and Tilapia genera, seem to be preferred.[3]

The pelican's pouch serves simply as a scoop. As the pelican pushes its bill underwater, the lower bill bows out, creating a large pouch which fills with water and fish. As it lifts its head, the pouch contracts, forcing out the water but retaining the fish. A group of 6 to 8 great white pelicans gather in a horseshoe formation in water to feed together. They dip their bills in unison, creating a circle of open pouches, ready to trap every fish in the area. Most feeding is cooperative and done in groups, especially in shallow waters where fish schools can be corralled easily, though they may also forage alone as well.[3]

Great white pelicans are not restricted to fish, however, and are often opportunistic foragers. In some situations, they eat chicks of other birds, such as the well documented case off the southwest coast of South Africa.[21] Here, breeding pelicans from the Dassen Island prey on chicks weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) from the Cape gannet colony on Malgas Island.[22] Similarly, in Walvis Bay, Namibia the eggs and chicks of Cape cormorants are fed regularly to young pelicans. The local pelican population is so reliant on the cormorants, that when the cormorant species experienced a population decline, the numbers of pelicans appeared to decline as well.[3]

They also

ducklings. The gulls are held under water and drowned before being eaten headfirst. A flock of captive great white pelicans in St James's Park, London is well known for occasionally eating local pigeons, despite being well-fed.[23][24]

Breeding

Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

The breeding season commences in April or May in temperate zones, is essentially all year around in Africa, and runs February through April in India. Large numbers of these pelicans breed together in colonies. Nest locations vary: some populations make stick nests in trees but a majority, including all those that breed in Africa, nest exclusively in scrapes on the ground lined with grass, sticks, feathers, and other material.[20]

The female can lay from 1 to 4 eggs in a clutch, with two being the average.[3] Incubation takes 29 to 36 days. The chicks are naked when they hatch but quickly sprout blackish-brown down. The young are cared for by both parents. The colony gathers in "pods" around 20 to 25 days after the eggs hatch. The young fledge at 65 to 75 days of age. Around 64% of young successful reach adulthood, attaining sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years of age.[3]

Predators

Predators of the pelicans' eggs and chicks include mammalian animals like foxes, gulls, frigatebirds, crows, skuas, African fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer), and marabou storks (Leptoptilos crumenifer). The adults have few predators on land other than humans and has no marine predator. However, in some regions of Africa, terrestrial predation occurs at night while roosting, caused by jackals, hyenas and lions.[25][26][27] Additionally, crocodiles, especially Nile crocodiles reportedly taken swimming pelicans.[28]

Status and conservation

Since 1998, the great white pelican has been rated as a species of 

Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. It is listed under the Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and Annexure I of the EU Birds Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. It occurs within 43 Important Bird Areas in its European range, and is listed within 108 Special Protection Areas in the European Union.[1][29] This species is often kept in captivity in zoos or in semi-wild colonies such as that in St. James's Park, London. The ancestors of this colony were originally given to Charles II by the Russian ambassador in 1664 which initiated the tradition of ambassadors donating the birds.[30]

Today, because of

fertiliser, and the fat of its young is converted into oils for traditional medicine in China and India. In Ethiopia, great white pelicans are shot for their meat. Human disturbance, loss of foraging habitat and breeding sites, as well as pollution are all contributing to the decline of the great white pelican. Declines have been particularly notable in the Palaearctic.[3]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697590A132595920.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^
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  6. ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9
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  8. ^ a b c d Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A.; F., Jutglar; E.F.J., Garcia; Kirwan, G.M. (2017). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A.; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  9. ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5
    .
  10. ^ Johnsgard, P. A. (1993). Cormorants, darters, and pelicans of the world. Smithsonian Inst Pr.
  11. ^
    ISBN 9781472946003
    .
  12. ^ Mclachlan, G.R.; Liversidge, R. (1978). "42 White Pelican". Roberts Birds of South Africa. Illustrated by Lighton, N.C.K.; Newman, K.; Adams, J.; Gronvöld, H. (4th ed.). The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. pp. 23–24.
  13. ^
    ISBN 9780199585663
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  14. ISBN 9780713688009
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    ISBN 9781408135235
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  17. ^
    S2CID 86109828
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  18. ^ Crivelli, Alain J.; Leshem, Yossi; Mitchev, Taniu; Jerrentrup, Hans (1991). "Where Do Palaearctic Great White Pelicans (Pelcanus Onocratalus) Presently Over Winter ?" (PDF). Revue d'Écologie. 46.
  19. ISSN 0030-6525
    .
  20. ^ a b Crawford, R.J.M. (2005). "Great White Pelican". In Hockey, P.A.R.; Dean, W.R.J.; Ryan, P.G. (eds.). Roberts – Birds of Southern Africa (7th ed.). Cape Town: The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. pp. 614–615.
  21. ^ Attenborough, David (2009). "Birds". Life. Episode 5. BBC. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  22. ^ Ryan, P. (2007). "Going, going, Gannet...Tough times for Benguela Seabirds" (PDF). African Birds & Birding: 30–35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-30.
  23. ^ "Pelican Swallows Pigeon in Park". BBC News. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2006.
  24. ^ Clarke, James (30 October 2006). "Pelican's Pigeon Meal not so Rare". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  25. ^ Brown, Leslie Hilton, and Emil K. Urban. "The breeding biology of the great white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus roseus at Lake Shala, Ethiopia." Ibis 111.2 (1969): 199-237.
  26. ^ a b c Bowker, Meyrick Brabbin. Conservation of the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and the pink-backed pelican (P. rufescens) in south eastern Africa. Diss. 2006.
  27. ^ ADW- Pelecanus onocrotalus - Information (2011).
  28. ISBN 978-0-8160-2174-1
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  29. ^ Anonymous. "Proposal for Inclusion of Species on the Appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals" (PDF). Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  30. ^ "Pelicans". Royalparks. Retrieved 25 December 2014.

External links

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