Great White Pelican
With a wingspan of over 2 metres and a weight of up to 14 kg, they are among the largest flying birds on our planet. The birds, which are actually white, got their name from the fact that the males turn…
Appearance
With a wingspan of over 2 metres and a weight of up to 14 kg, they are among the largest flying birds on our planet. The birds, which are actually white, got their name from the fact that the males turn their plumage pink during the mating season and are then particularly interesting for the females.
Habitat
The native habitat of the great white pelican is the Danube Delta. There are large pelican colonies there, which live peacefully alongside many other delta inhabitants. The Danube Delta is under strict nature protection and so the pelicans there are relatively safe. In winter, the pelicans migrate to Africa, returning to the delta in spring.
Social behaviour even when hunting
The heavy birds need a certain run-up to get into the air. One peculiarity is the position of the head when flying. The pelican bends its neck into an S-shape when flying, so that the head is above the body. The same peculiarity is also shown by herons. As pelicans are very sociable birds, they live in large colonies where they raise their young together and also go fishing together. The cooperative hunting for fish is quite remarkable.
The animals form a flying line and drive the fish, with powerful wing beats on the water, to the shore. There they fill the gular pouches of their beaks with water, in which fish and crabs are also caught. It is astonishing that about 11 litres of water can fit into the gular pouch of the great white pelican. However, this is not only ideal for hunting. It is also used to transport nesting material. An important function of the gular pouch is temperature regulation. With the so-called gular fluttering, the pelican can lower the temperature in the oral cavity by up to 5 degrees Celsius.
