Spot-billed Pelican
Pelecanus philippensis
The Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a uncommon pelican found in 11 countries, weighing about 5.0 kg. The spot-billed pelican or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family.
About the Spot-billed Pelican
The spot-billed pelican or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close range the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The spot-billed pelican is a rather large water bird, often the largest or one of the largest native birds in the southern stretches of its range, albeit it is fairly small for a pelican. It is 125–152 cm (49–60 in) long and a weight of 4.1–6 kg (9.0–13.2 lb). The wingspan can vary from 213 to 250 cm (7 ft 0 in to 8 ft 2 in) while the typically large beak measured from 285 to 355 mm (11.2 to 14.0 in). It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and a brownish tail. The feathers on the hind neck are curly and form a greyish nape crest.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Spot-billed 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 Spot-billed Pelican?
- The spot-billed pelican is a rather large water bird, often the largest or one of the largest native birds in the southern stretches of its range, albeit it is fairly small for a pelican. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Spot-billed Pelican?
- The Spot-billed Pelican is a huge sized bird weighing about 5.0 kg.
- Where can you see a Spot-billed Pelican?
- The Spot-billed Pelican occurs in 11 countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).
- What birds look similar to a Spot-billed Pelican?
- The Spot-billed Pelican is most easily confused with the Peruvian Pelican, the Great White Pelican and the Dalmatian Pelican.
- Is the Spot-billed Pelican endangered?
- The Spot-billed Pelican is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Spot-billed Pelican for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery 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.