Curly Pelican
Fishing with a net
When it dips its bill into the water, it can scoop up to 13 liters of water, which it then lets flow out to catch the fish. It sometimes fishes in collaboration with the Great Cormorant. The cormorant dives and attacks a school of fish while the pelican waits at the surface and catches the fleeing fish.
The Dalmatian pelican reaches its adult plumage and maturity at 3–4 years of age. Its pouch then turns red during the breeding season. Pelicans form “daycare centers” and gather the young of several families together.
IUCN status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)
Description
Pelecanus crispus
Palican
about 10kg
160 to 180cm
Coasts, inland waters
Endangered
20 year
Did you know ?
This bird has become very rare due to hunting by fishermen, pollution, and the drying up of wetlands. It is found primarily in Greece and Romania (the Danube Delta). Other populations exist along the same latitude as far as China.
Food
This bird eats about 1 kg of fish a day.
