How does a pelican live? Where do pelicans live? In which country? Attitude to this bird in different countries

Pelicans are one of the largest waterfowl. Despite their impressive size, these birds are capable of flying to a height of up to three kilometers. Although they belong to the category of exotic and the geography of their residence is very wide, they can be found on all continents of the globe in tropical and subtropical zones, except for Antarctica.

Pelican (pink-backed species) and two herons in Tanzania.
Pelican and heron in Tanzania.

Appearance

The physique of pelicans is massive and rather awkward - it is long, varies from 1.3 m to 1.8 m, and the weight, depending on the species, is from 7 to 14 kg. They have a long beak, neck and wings, and their legs are very short. It is worth looking at a photo of a pelican and all attention is immediately riveted to the throat pouch located on the underside of the beak. It is a stretchable leather bag, which is the main assistant in catching fish, the beak of birds is also unusual - very powerful and heavy with a hook at the end, it can reach more than 45 cm in length.

Feathers in pelicans do not fit tightly to the body, so they are prone to getting wet quickly, because of this, pelicans often “squeeze” water out of them with their beaks. The color is usually white or white-gray, with a pink tint. During the mating season, the beak and other parts of the head without feathers are colored brightly.

Sexual dimorphism in birds is weakly expressed - females are slightly smaller in size than males and are dimmer than males.

Nutrition and behavior

Pelicans are birds of prey, they feed mainly on fish, less often they catch frogs, toads, crustaceans, small turtles. On a day, these birds need to feed about a kilogram of fish.

They snatch the fish out of the water, lowering their heads into the pond. After the bird has caught the fish, it strains water from the five-liter throat bag with its beak and swallows the prey. They can also hunt collectively - they begin to flap their wings in the water and with their beaks knock out frightened fish in shallow water. Quite often, gulls and cormorants take part in such a hunt.

If you take a photo of pelicans on land, it will immediately become clear that on the ground they are very clumsy, but as soon as they take off, and they do it without a run, they fly surprisingly easily and quickly, during the flight they can glide on outstretched wings.

reproduction

Birds become ready for breeding at the age of three years. Almost all species of pelicans form pairs for only one season. Nests are built on the ground, in the creases of reeds, on large trees, rocks. The female builds the nest, and the male searches for material. Quite often, several pairs of pelicans build a common nest.

Usually in the clutch there are up to three yellow or bluish eggs with a rough shell. The female incubates the eggs, the male replaces her only when the female goes for food. After 30 - 42, newborn pelican chicks are born. Chicks are born completely naked and blind, fluff appears only by the tenth day. Both parents are responsible for feeding - they regurgitate partially digested food from the stomach and feed the chicks directly from the beak. Birds become on the wing quite late - at 70 - 75 days. Among the chicks, there is high food competition, as a rule, only one chick survives.

Pelican species

The pelican family includes 8 species of birds.

Australian pelican - lives in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. Despite the small size of 4-7 kg, a bird can eat up to 8 kg of food per day. An interesting fact is that the male during the mating season can “care” for the female for up to 8 months until she gives her consent.

Curly pelican - these pelicans are migratory birds, they usually settle near hard-to-reach lakes, in the lower reaches and deltas of rivers with a lot of vegetation. The people call the bird "Baba-bird". Couples of this species remain faithful to each other all their lives.

American white pelican - these birds can be found in Canada and the United States. Another name for these birds is "Rhinoceros Pelican", because of the outgrowth in the middle of the mandible, which appears in them only in the mating season.

American brown pelican - representatives of this species are the smallest pelicans, their weight is about 4.5 kg, and the body length is not more than 137 cm. The image of this bird adorns the flag of American Louisiana and the coat of arms of Barbados.

Pink pelican - the weight of the bird can reach 15 kg. In adult birds, the plumage has a white-pink hue, especially bright on the abdomen during the mating season, the colors become brighter. These birds are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.

The gray pelican is a rare member of the pelicon family. Another name is "Philippine pelicans", although you can no longer meet birds on these islands, they live in the south and southeast of Asia. A feature of this species is that they build nests only in large trees.

Pink-backed pelican - these birds are very similar to pink pelicans, however, they are slightly smaller in size and during the mating season they have a pink-red hue on their back, besides, their head is covered with a lot of curls.

Pelecanus thagus - for a long time these birds belonged to the Brown Pelicans, and only recently were assigned to a separate species. They nest only on the rocky coast, unlike other species, they do not build nests on trees.

The Dalmatian Pelican is one of only two species breeding in Russia where it can form mixed colonies with the Pink Pelican.

Systematics

Russian name - Curly Pelican
Latin name - Pelecanus crispus
English name - Dalmatian pelican
Squad - Pelicans (Pelecaniformes)
Family - Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Genus - Pelicans (Pelecanus) total 8 species

The status of the species in nature

The curly pelican is the rarest of all pelican species. Back in the middle of the 19th century, the number of these birds reached several million, and by the beginning of the 20th century it had fallen to several thousand. At present, the number of Dalmatian pelicans in the Palearctic is about 4000 pairs, of which former USSR accounts for about 86%. The number of breeding pairs in Russia is 450–710. The Dalmatian Pelican is listed in the International Red Book as a species of low abundance, at risk of extinction - CITES I, IUCN (VU).

The main reason for the decline in the number of the Dalmatian pelican in the territory of the former USSR over the past 50 years, scientists consider the destruction of habitats as a result of the construction of dams on rivers and hydromelioration. In addition, the active use of reed stalks by people deprives pelicans of secluded places for nesting, and pollution of water bodies with industrial effluents and oil leads to the death of fish and the birds themselves.

View and person

Pelican is a character of many fairy tales, legends, myths. It is considered a sacred bird among Muslims - according to legend, he carried stones in his throat bag for the construction of shrines in Mecca. In the Christian religion, the pelican has become a symbol of selfless parental love - as if tearing its own chest and feeding hungry chicks with blood. In fact, the chick “dives” so deeply into the parent’s throat for food that it almost hides in its beak, and people mistook the pinkish slurry from the fish it got for the insides of an adult bird. An echo of this legend about the self-sacrifice of adults for the sake of children can be considered a symbolic prize for the best teacher of the year in Russia - the “crystal pelican” figurine.

Man sometimes uses the ability of pelicans to catch fish. Tamed birds go fishing with the owner, sitting on the sides of the boat. They closely monitor what is happening under water and, as soon as they notice a gaping fish, they slip into the water and grab it. And in order for the birds not to swallow large prey, they put on small collars. Pelicans swim up to the owner, open their beaks, give away large fish, and in return receive small ones.

Alas, most fishermen do not like pelicans. For them, these birds are competitors. However, if we want to live in peace and harmony with nature, we need to realize that we need to share both food and a place to live with our “little brothers”.

common data

Distribution and habitats

Arrives at nesting sites very early, on average, in mid-March. In the Transcaucasus along Black Sea coast migratory birds, depending on spring, appear in late February - early March. They arrive in the Volga Delta in mid-March. Autumn departure begins late, in October-November.

The curly pelican winters mainly in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan, in the north-west of India and in southern China.

The main habitats of the pelican are river deltas rich in aquatic vegetation and fish, fresh and brackish lakes with thickets, islands of salt lakes devoid of surface vegetation.

Appearance and morphology

The figure of a curly pelican is very characteristic. It is very similar to a pink pelican, but somewhat larger - body length is about 180 cm, wingspan is up to 3.5 m, weight can reach 12–13 kg. Females are somewhat smaller than males. There are long “curly feathers” on the head, the naked space around the eye is small, and the forehead is feathered. The iris of the eye is light. The throat bag is yellow-orange, the paws are dark gray, the membrane, like that of other pelicans, connects all four fingers. The general coloration of the head, neck and body is light gray, the edges of the wings are dark, almost black.

The curly pelican walks on land in a waddle, when taking off it is repelled by two legs, sometimes it rises into the air only after several jumps. It flies very well, often soars. During the flight, the legs are stretched back, and the neck is bent, the head is laid on the back, and only the beak protrudes forward. It swims very well, keeps high on the water, so that the wings, which are clearly visible when folded, almost do not touch the water. It cannot dive: it fishes by submerging only its head, neck and front part of the body into the water. Despite its huge size, this bird can perch on trees, clasping a branch, pointing 3 fingers forward, the fourth back.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The food of pelicans is fish - carp, bream, perch, herring, silver bream, vobla, etc. Birds are happy to eat small fish, and quite large ones - weighing up to 3 kg. The prey is swallowed whole. The fish is digested completely with scales and bones.

Dalmatian pelicans, like other members of this family, often fish in families (a pair of birds with grown chicks) or groups of several families. Sometimes a large flock of two types of pelicans (curly and pink) and cormorants gather to fish. Unlike pink pelicans, curly ones fish not only in the shallows, but also in deep water. When a pelican fishes alone, it swims slowly, carefully peering into the water, and with a quick movement grabs a fish that swims close to the surface.

It is estimated that for 8 months of stay in the Volga delta, a pair of adult birds and two chicks eat 1080 kg of fish.

Lifestyle and social organization

The main activity of pelicans is confined to the morning and evening hours. Birds usually rest during the day.

Curly pelicans, like others, are “sociable” birds, they feel good only in a community of their own kind. They nest in small colonies, often together with pink pelicans. Non-breeding birds sometimes live close to the colony, but may fly quite long distances to more fishy grounds. The fact is that during nesting, priority in choosing a place is given to safety, and the reservoir may not be very rich in fish. In the post-nesting period, the main thing is the availability of food, and pelicans move to the most fish-rich reservoirs.

On flights, curly pelicans can gather in large flocks, depending on the number of these birds in each particular region. During the flight, they fly in a line, an elongated straight line, or a wavy line, keeping close to each other. And during flights, flocks are mixed with pink pelicans.

Vocalization

The sounds made by pelicans, deaf growling, growling and grunting, are very low. Pelicans "sound" mainly in the nesting colony, the rest of the time the birds are mostly silent. The voices of pink and curly pelicans are similar.

Reproduction and education of offspring

Pelicans arrive at nesting sites around mid-March. Apparently, the couples are mostly constant, but the showy mating ritual is repeated annually. Birds alternately take off, trample next to each other, uttering a kind of grunt, rub their beaks. Dalmatian pelicans build their nests mainly on creases and quagmire reeds. The nest can be located directly near open water or among reed beds at some distance from it. Dalmatian pelicans nest in colonies, usually of several dozen pairs or 4–5 pairs. Nests are not located close to each other, but at a distance of several meters. Sometimes there are colonies together with pink pelicans. In this case, curly pelicans are located along the edge of the colony.

The place for the nest is chosen by the female, she builds it. But here the nesting material (grass, reeds, branches) is brought in the beak by the male. During the day, he manages to bring building materials up to 40 times. It happens that pelicans from different nests steal nesting material from each other, as a result of which fights break out. The construction of the nest lasts 3-4 days, and as a result, a high, trampled heap mixed with droppings is obtained. The diameter of the nest is about 1.5 m, almost the same height; by the end of the nesting period, the entire structure settles.

Clutching starts from the end of April, and in the nests of one colony occurs at different times. The female usually lays 2-3 eggs. white color weighing 143–195 g, which the parents incubate in turn, but, as a rule, the female spends more time on the nest. Incubation lasts 39–40 days and begins with the laying of the first egg, so the chicks in the nest are of different ages.

They hatch naked, blind, with pink skin. Only on the 5th day do rare fluffs appear, and gradually the chick is overgrown with white fluff. Babies grow very quickly and reach the size of an adult bird even in a cover of downy feathers, by 2 months. They begin to swim at the age of 7–10 days and, frightened, splash to the water. To month old they grow flight feathers, and the body begins to be covered with "adult" feathers. At 2.5 months, young birds begin to fly.
At first, the parents feed the chicks with semi-digested fish, which they get from the goiter and throat pouch. While the chicks are small, they almost hide in the parent's beak while feeding. This spectacle is so impressive that it was the impetus for the creation of the legend of the pelican feeding its chicks with its own insides. Pelicans do not fly far for food, preferring to fish near the colony. Young people, having risen on the wing, together with their parents, begin to lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving to more fodder reservoirs. These birds become sexually mature in the third year of life.

Lifespan

In captivity, pelicans live up to 30 years, in nature - less.

Dalmatian Pelicans at the Moscow Zoo

Dalmatian pelicans live in the same group with pink pelicans in the New Territory of the Zoo: in winter - in the Birds, Butterflies pavilion, in summer - on a small pond next to the pavilion. For more than ten years they did not breed, the first eggs were laid only in the early spring of 2012. Pelicans were restless, and ornithologists took the eggs to the incubator, fearing that the birds would inadvertently break them. And so, on March 27, a joyful event finally happened - a healthy strong chick hatched. They called him Matvey and, perhaps, not every little man deserves such care and attention as this baby. Therefore, as it happens with people, Matvey grew up capricious and spoiled.

When the time came to introduce him to his relatives, he did not immediately understand that they were his relatives. Animals raised by people often have altered behavior - they understand their adoptive parents better than real ones. Pelicans surrounded Matvey, preparing to accept him into their friendly flock. The chick was very interested in the tails of large unfamiliar birds. After several attempts by the newcomer to pluck feathers from adult birds, the pelicans began to avoid the bully. And Matvey, not at all embarrassed, felt like the owner of the pond. The relatives did not offend him, but shunned him, and Matvey spent the first year in some suspension.

Having matured, our hero continues to be very independent, but more and more often he rests next to other pelicans. He loves to play very much - the most miscellaneous items: branches, pebbles. Sometimes it chases ducks - it catches it in its beak net, holds it and releases it. The duck, of course, does not like it at all - it flies away with a loud quack. But most of all Matvey loves balls. Therefore, when a new nesting season begins, adult birds have to "keep both eyes" so that this "cute naughty" can not play with laid eggs.

Since 2012, Dalmatian Pelicans have been breeding regularly. Matvey's girlfriend is growing up, and he is already beginning to show interest in her.

Pelicans on the pond can be seen until late autumn, only when the water begins to freeze, they go to winter. They cannot fly, but they walk in a friendly crowd along a fenced-off corridor to a warm room. They are fed twice a day, and curly pelicans prefer herring, and pink pelicans prefer carps.

Nestling Matvey

Pelicans live in almost all warm latitudes of all continents. The main habitat is considered to be areas located near the seas and oceans. They have a very strange beak shape, which many people think is that this item gives the bird excessive inconvenience. However, mother nature is smart, and this beak is a receptacle for caught fish, working on the principle of a fishing net, which does not affect flying and swimming qualities in any way. Pelicans live in flocks, where the dominance of individual individuals is expressed.

The main source of food for pelicans is the sea or ocean. They feed on fish, crabs and jellyfish. “Fishing” is a very interesting activity for these birds. Moreover, the manner of fishing for food is distinctive and depends on belonging to a particular species.

Some species prefer collective "fishing". Lined up, they loudly flap their wings against the water, driving the fish into shallow water, where it becomes easily accessible. Sometimes pelicans have to dive deep into the sea for prey. They are excellent swimmers and divers.

Pelicans nest in trees or shrubs, build large nests for themselves using reeds, small twigs and dry foliage.
Pelicans feed their chicks with overcooked fish. To do this, parents have to burp the contents of the stomach back into the beak pouch. From there, the chicks get food already in the semi-digested form.

The curly pelican is the largest species not only among relatives of closely related species. This bird is barely inferior to large swans

The Dalmatian Pelican and the Wandering Albatross have the largest wingspan, over 350 cm.

There are the following types of pelicans:

Curly Pelican (Pelecanus Crisp)
pink pelican, woman pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus Conspicillatus)
Indian Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis)
Lesser Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)
dzioborogi Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus western)
Chilean Pelican (Pelecanus thagus) - isolated from western species

Curly Pelican

Its wingspan reaches 350 cm.
The largest representatives of this species reach 183 cm in length.
Under the skin, they have special "airbags" that allow them to easily float on the surface of the water.
The flight speed of the pelican is over 50 km/h.
The elastic beak bag can be stretched to the point where it can easily hold up to 13 liters of water or food.

* Length: 160-183cm (188cm Australian Pelican)
* Wingspan: 290-351cm
* Weight: 11-15kg
* Beak length: 36-45cm (Australian pelican 50cm)
* Average duration life: 25 years

This bird is known to everyone thanks to its huge wide beak. Scientists have established that it is one of the most ancient. She is already a couple of tens of millions of years old. Have you guessed which of the birds we are talking about? Of course it's a pelican. Where does this bird live and what does it eat? Why does she have such a beak? You will find answers to these and many other questions in our article.

Pelicans: habitat, lifestyle

Translated from Greek, the name of this bird means "cut with an axe." People often compared its beak to that of a woodpecker. There is one interesting species among these birds, which is called the baba bird. It's a pink pelican. Where does the bird live and how did it deserve such a name? It means "father" in Hindi. In India and Pakistan, it is considered an honorary title. Since pelicans are thermophilic, they inhabit the coasts of Africa and southern Europe. All of them are migratory. And where do pelicans live in our country? They can be found on the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas, rivers of the Altai Territory and Kazakhstan.

All species of these birds are waterfowl. Therefore, they can be found on the banks of rivers, lakes and seas. The basis of the diet of pelicans is fish. Therefore, they settle in reservoirs, where its quantity is sufficient for food.

Features of external signs

The pelican is quite large. Among them there are specimens up to 1.5 meters long, weighing up to 14 kg. Pelican has a massive body with large wings and a rounded tail. Its reliable support is thick short legs. Since the pelican is a waterfowl, there are wide membranes between its fingers. A peculiar adaptation to catching fish is a long neck.

The place where the pelican lives is the coast. Birds spend most of their time in the water, where they hunt and dive. Their plumage is loosely attached to the skin. For this reason, they quickly get wet. Pelicans have to wring out feathers with their beaks.

The color of the bird can be gray or white, often with a pink tinge. On flight feathers are dark spots. On the head, feathers often form a kind of crest. Pelicans show sexual dimorphism. Males are larger than females, and their coloration is much brighter. Usually pelicans are silent. They make sounds only during the nesting period.

Why does a pelican have such a beak

What is the main distinguishing feature of these birds? Of course, this is a wide beak, at the end of which there is a hook. The beak is several times the length of the head itself. In some species, its length is about 50 cm.

On the underside of the beak, the skin forms a bag. It is capable of stretching, so it fits 15 liters of water or 4 kg of fish.

The place where the pelican lives is always rich in fish. The favorite delicacy of these birds is pike, goby, carp, mullet. In order to be properly satiated, a pelican needs to catch about 2 kg of fish. These birds do not disdain toads, shrimps and crabs. But if this food is not in the reservoir, pelicans can attack other birds, keeping them under water for a long time. Most often, this fate befalls gulls and ducks.

nesting

Pelicans live in flocks, which number several hundred pairs. They also live in groups during the interbreeding period. Other species of coastal birds often live near them.

Pelicans do not have a clear division of responsibilities. But together they feel much safer. Pelicans are very friendly birds. Conflicts between them are quite rare. Only sometimes pelicans fight with their beaks for treats or branches for construction.

Despite their considerable weight, these birds fly very well. True, in order to soar into the air, they need a decent run. And they can soar in the air only in the presence of air currents. Since pelicans are migratory birds, they can also fly long distances. At the same time, they replace several leaders, each of which sets the pace for the flight of the entire flock.

Reproduction and care of offspring

Pelican nests, pairs of which form only for one season, can be found in trees and in bushes. Sometimes they are so impressive that several pairs settle in them. Large species usually nest directly on the ground, rocks, grass or reed beds.

As building materials, pelicans use all available means: branches, leaves, feathers, plant debris, droppings and clay. Moreover, the female is engaged in the construction of the dwelling. The male produces material for this. One clutch usually contains 2-3 eggs. They may be blue or yellowish in color. The shell is loose, rough to the touch.

The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but if necessary, the father of the future family also participates in this. This continues for about 40 days. Nesting type chicks. After birth, they are helpless, blind and naked for a couple of weeks. But even when plumage appears, adult pelicans take care of their chicks for another 2 months. They feed them with fish that they regurgitate from their stomachs. By the end of this period, young individuals become capable of flight.

Since the parents spend a long time in search of food, almost half of the chicks die. They may become prey to predators or freeze.

Pelican and interesting facts about birds

Since the place where the pelican lives always involves a large number of fish, the birds hunt it together. They line up in one row, beat their wings on the water and drive it into a corner or into shallow water.

They also hunt alone. An amazing feature of pelicans is that they swallow fish that are located head first towards them. Therefore, birds throw their prey up, trying to turn it around.

When fish or other food is in a leather bag, the bird tries to squeeze the water out to the sides and swallow the prey. The hook on the top of the beak is necessary in order to fix slippery food and toss it into the air.

mythological character

The unusual appearance of pelicans has long made them the heroes of various works. They are mentioned in bestiaries. In ancient times, this was the name of collections of zoological stories and poems. One of them tells how the mother jealously caressed the chicks with her beak and claws. As a result, they died. A few days later, the father of the family appeared. He tore his chest into blood, washed the chicks with it and thereby revived them. This caused the pelican to be compared to Jesus, who also sacrificed his life to save others.

So, in our article we examined the description of the pelican. This bird lives in coastal areas with a warm climate. In the temperate zone it is migratory. Pelican has a large body, short legs with well-developed membranes between the fingers. These birds are excellent swimmers, divers and fly long distances. The hallmark of pelicans is a wide leathery beak. In it, the bird keeps a large number of fish and other small aquatic inhabitants.

Most likely, there is no such person on Earth who would not be familiar with this bird. It is so unusual that even a child recognizes a pelican in the pictures. He is the only member of the family with the same name. Despite this, the pelican is distributed on almost all continents. This bird is very large and has some features - they allow you to distinguish it from others.

Its varieties have slight differences in size, shape and color.

What is unusual about a pelican

This bird differs from others in the shape of its beak. It is very long and wide, exceeding the length of the head by about five times. No bird on the planet has such a large and capacious beak. Distinctive feature The pelican is a leathery bag at its base, which holds up to 15 liters of water. With its help, these birds catch fish. They can carry up to 4 kilograms of prey in it. In addition, this bag is densely permeated with capillaries and is used for thermoregulation in the heat.

Despite their slowness and apparent heaviness, pelicans swim very well, fly fast, and can soar. And the brown pelican can quickly rush from a height into the water for prey. In order to mitigate the consequences of such diving, these birds have many air sacs between the bones, and a pillow of feathers on the chest. But other species cannot dive, however, a layer of air between the feathers helps them stay on the water well.

Another unusual species of these birds is the white pelican. It is also sometimes called the hornbill. After all, in the middle of his beak there is a small growth resembling a horn. Its feathers are white, with black edges, so it is sometimes referred to as black and white.

Another amazing feature of these birds is that they do not have nostrils, they breathe directly through their beaks. Usually pelicans are silent and rarely make any sounds. But those that can be heard are more like grunts, growls or grunts than bird voices. Having seen this unusual creature at least once, you will never forget what a pelican bird looks like.

Description and appearance

This is one of the largest birds, reaching a length of almost two meters. Their wingspan is almost three meters, and their weight can be up to 15 kilograms. By what signs can you recognize a pelican? So:

• clumsy massive body;
• very large wings, their span reaches more than three meters;
• with a web between the fingers;
• long curved neck;
• wide and large beak with a leathery bag at the bottom;
• loosely fitting plumage and an air gap under the skin that helps them fly and swim.

Lifestyle

Varieties of pelicans

Eight species belong to this family, and only two of them are found on the territory of Russia. This is a curly and pink pelican. The names of subspecies are associated with the characteristics of birds and reflect their color or appearance. There is also a black and white pelican, gray and brown. Some species are listed in the Red Book. They die from the poisoning of rivers and seas with chemicals, the draining of swamps, and also because of catching birds for the extraction of the skin, which is used for tailoring.

Six species of pelicans live near freshwater rivers and lakes, and only two prefer the sea coast - brown and Chilean. But they all sleep only on land, so it is impossible to meet these birds far out to sea.

Almost all pelicans are the same in behavior, they differ only in appearance and sizes. One of the species that lives in America stands apart. The brown pelican, unlike the others, can dive, entering the water from a height. Often it reaches 20 meters. In order not to damage the neck when hitting the water, the bird throws its head back and presses it to its back.

And the rest is prevented from diving by the presence a large number air bubbles between the feathers. This is such an unusual pelican bird. Photos of them in flight or while hunting show how beautiful and amazing they are.

How pelicans fly

This heavy massive bird can take off only from a running start, noisily beating its wings. But in flight, they do not look clumsy at all. They measure their wings, skillfully use the ascending air currents and soar, and can also spiral high up. In flight, they can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. Pelicans keep their neck curved, throwing their heads back so that the long beak does not outweigh. When they fly over a long distance, the birds line up in a wedge. A flock of these birds in flight is a very beautiful sight. Pelicans sit on the water, slowing down with their paws and splashing noisily against it.

How do pelicans hunt?

This is a flocking bird, so they also get food in groups. Pelicans hunt in different ways. Very often a flock of birds walks in shallow water, lowering their beaks into the water and scooping it up with their nets. There is also a fish there. They have a hook at the end of their bill to hold slippery prey. Pelicans also use it to catch large fish.

Having scooped up water, the pelican raises its head and squeezes it out of its beak, then swallowing all the caught fish. If a large fish is caught in its beak, the bird is forced to first throw it up so that it turns head down in flight. That's the only way he can swallow it. At this time, nimble gulls sometimes steal prey from these clumsy birds.

To drive the fish into shallow water, pelicans flap their wings noisily. Sometimes they stand in two lines and drive the fish towards each other. The brown pelican's method of hunting is very interesting. He rises high into the sky and dives noisily, hitting his chest against the water. On the chest of this bird there is a large pillow of feathers, so the blow does not cause harm to it, but the fish stalls from a strong roar and floats to the surface, becoming easy prey for birds.

Pelican nesting

Most of these birds nest in trees or shrubs, building large nests out of twigs and other similar debris. The builder is the female, and the male brings the material. Sometimes several pairs build one large nest, which is a huge pile of branches, feathers, leaves and droppings. But large pelicans nest on the ground in thickets of grass or reeds, and sometimes right on stones, using their feathers for construction.

The female lays only 2-3 eggs, which are yellowish or bluish in color. She incubates them for a month. The chicks hatch naked and blind. Only after two weeks they dress in down, and remain helpless for more than two months. All this time, the parents feed the chick with semi-digested fish directly from their beak. It is interesting to observe the process of feeding from the side, when the baby puts its head into the wide-open beak of an adult bird.

Pelicans living in our country

In the Black Sea region, on the coast in Altai and in Kazakhstan, the pink pelican nests. Its peculiarity is that the feathers are pinkish in color with a black border around the edge. His legs are also pink, and the bag under his beak is yellow. There is also an ocher patch on the chest. On the head of this bird is a high crest of pointed feathers. In this way, it is similar to another species that lives in our country - a curly pelican, which is larger and does not have a pink color. Its feathers are white with a gray tint, and its paws are also gray. They named him so because on his head and neck his feathers are slightly twisted and form something like a mane. These pelicans are endangered and are protected.

Attitude to this bird in different countries

The pelican is a bird so unusual that since ancient times many legends and myths have been composed about it. Among Muslims, the pelican was considered a sacred bird that helped build Mecca. The Turkic peoples politely called him "Baba-bird". He was also revered in Europe. The method of feeding one's own children commanded respect, and it became a symbol of the selfless love of parents. Until now, the image of a pelican feeding chicks has been painted at the entrance to the St. Petersburg Pedagogical University.