Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFishWetlandScrapeHuge · 9.3 kg

ID tip

The great white pelican is a huge bird—only the Dalmatian pelican is, on average, larger among pelicans. It measures 140 to 180 cm (55 to 71 in) in length with a 28.9 to 47.1 cm (11.4 to 18.5 in) enormous pink and yellow bill, and a dull pale-yellow gular pouch. The wingspan measures 226 to 360 cm (7 ft 5 in to 11 ft 10 in), the latter measurement being the highest among extant flying animals outside of the great albatross.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Great White Pelican

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Great White Pelican

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 72 countries with regular records, and 20 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Sweden, Norway, Thailand, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Malaysia, Somalia, Latvia, Serbia, Congo - Brazzaville, Nigeria, Hong Kong SAR China, Denmark.

About the Great White Pelican

The great white pelican, 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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Brown Pelican vs Great White Pelican · American White Pelican vs Great White Pelican · Australian Pelican vs Great White Pelican · Great White Pelican vs Spot-billed Pelican · Great White Pelican vs Peruvian Pelican · Dalmatian Pelican vs Great White Pelican

Learn the Great White Pelican in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.