Australian Pelicans

These pelicans were in the Coorong National Park near the Goolwa Barrage. Pelicans are quite large birds, with a wingspan of over 2 metres. A pelican will catch a fish in its bill and then flip the bill up so it can gulp the fish straight down its throat. (One of the most horrible things I ever saw as a child was a pelican swallow a fish that was too big for it... it managed to get the fish down in several gulps, but then it waddled into the water and sank. Traumatic to watch.)