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Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrolatus

Photo by Christiane
Published on Project Noah
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49.4848, 8.49181

Field Notes

Description:

This enormous bird has a spectacular azure blue bill with a central red stripe, and ending in a small, red hook. Beneath the lower jaw of the pelican, and extending to the base of the throat, is a bright yellow, elastic pouch that can hold a large volume of fish. The area of the face from the eye up to the bill is bare and fleshy pink. The head has a white crest of long, bushy feathers. The body feathers are creamy white with black tips to the wings. The feet are yellow and strongly webbed

Habitat:

Sedentary populations are found year-round in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Migratory populations are found from Eastern Europe to Kazakstan during the breeding season and from northeast Africa through Iraq to north India in the winter. Great white pelicans have also been seen in southern Vietnam

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (55)

Tahnks you all for you positive comments. It make it sooooooo much nicer! :)
Spectacular photos.
Great series, congratulations!
Thanks Ashley.. I think they are very old friends.. :)
Congrats! I love the last photo as well, seems like they are best friends :)
Wow Christiane you got the double! Well deserved, congratulations!
Thanks Emily,Lauren and Rieko.. I uploaded the last photo later.. :)
I agree. I like the last picture which I did not see the first time when I saw this spotting.
Very beautiful Christiane...I love the last picture!
I love the 5th picture! Trust on both their parts! How wonderful! Congrats!
Thanks to all of you.. It is so much fun to share with you! :)
Very nice and surprising, congratulations :)
Gorgeous, Christiane!
Congratulations for your beautiful pictures in the National Geographic Spotting of the Week. It is so special!!!
Congratulations on the double Christiane!
Wow Christiane! You've done the double! Great white pelicans gather near a river in Mannheim, Germany, in our National Geographic Spotting of the Week. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152790301780603&set=a.10152553642825603.956331.10150120463815603&type=1 https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/330877162150318081
Great capture Christiane,beautiful ,congrats on the SOTD and thanks for sharing such a beautiful spotting page
Thanks J, Harsha Singh, LandmarkExpert..
how the heck did someone like pet it????????????????????
Wow!. Great clicks, Christiane. Love the last one. Congrats!
Congratulations on a lovely Spotting of the Day, Christiane! The last photo has so much emotion, just beautiful!
Thanks to all of you.. It is great that this series got a SOTD.. and @Fyn I too love the #5. I just posted it in the local news paper. I want to find the man on the photos..
Awesome spotting! Congratulations Christiane! #5 is awesome! So tame!
Great work Christiane!! Congratulations on SOTD and a beautiful series!
Congrats Christiane. Beautiful pelican. So different to our Australian pelican.
Wonderful, Christiane! Congratulations!
Thanks OnengDyah.. and thanks to all the LIKES... ;)
I have added 1 more photo.. It is a photo of a old man and the bird. A photo of trust and love for nature. :)
Congratulations Christiane !!

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