Great White Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a uncommon pelican found in 92 countries, weighing about 9.3 kg. The great white pelican, also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or simply white pelican, is a bird in the pelican family.
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.
How to identify it
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.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Sweden, Norway, Thailand, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Somalia, Latvia, Serbia, Congo - Brazzaville, Nigeria, Hong Kong SAR China, Denmark.
When to see it
The Great White Pelican can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Great White Pelican?
- The great white pelican is a huge bird—only the Dalmatian pelican is, on average, larger among pelicans. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Great White Pelican?
- The Great White Pelican is a huge sized bird weighing about 9.3 kg.
- Where can you see a Great White Pelican?
- The Great White Pelican occurs in 92 countries, including South Africa, Israel, India, Kenya and Namibia.
- What birds look similar to a Great White Pelican?
- The Great White Pelican is most easily confused with the Spot-billed Pelican, the Peruvian Pelican and the Dalmatian Pelican.
- Is the Great White Pelican endangered?
- The Great White Pelican is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Great White Pelican for real
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