# Dalmatian Pelican (*Pelecanus crispus*) The Dalmatian Pelican is a large, beautiful bird with a long bill and fluffy feathers. They love to fish and can be found near lakes and rivers, where they glide gracefully over the water. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Dalmatian Pelican](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pelicans_Kerkini_20111227_IMG_5165.jpg&width=800) Photo: RoubinakiM, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelicans_Kerkini_20111227_IMG_5165.jpg) ## Appearance The Dalmatian Pelican is a massive bird with striking silvery-white plumage, often appearing greyish from a distance. It has a distinctive shaggy mane of curly feathers on its nape and a bright orange-red gular pouch, which intensifies during breeding season. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Pelecaniformes - **Family:** Pelecanidae - **Genus:** Pelecanus ## Interesting facts - Baby pelicans are born completely helpless, blind and featherless at birth! - Their huge beak pouch can stretch to hold over 13 liters of water! - They are the rarest of all pelican species, making them special to spot! - Unlike most pelicans, they often hunt alone, gracefully fishing from the surface! ## Special abilities - **Mega Mouth Pouch:** Dalmatian Pelican has a huge, expandable gular pouch that helps them scoop up large amounts of fish effortlessly. - **Feathered Air Bags:** Dalmatian Pelican has lightweight, air-filled bones that help them soar high and stay buoyant on water. - **Thermal Rider:** Dalmatian Pelican can expertly use warm air currents to soar high and travel long distances with minimal effort. - **Shaggy Head Decor:** Dalmatian Pelican has distinct shaggy, curly feathers on its head and nape, giving it a unique, regal appearance. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 160-180 cm - **Wingspan:** 270-320 cm - **Weight:** 10-15 kg - **Lifespan:** 16-25 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-3 - **Incubation:** 30-32 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding These large birds primarily eat fish, scooping them up with their enormous beak pouches! - **Primary Foods:** Cyprinus carpio, Anguilla anguilla, Mugil cephalus, Perca fluviatilis - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — A primary and abundant food source. - **Eaten by:** European Eel (*Anguilla anguilla*) — Frequently caught in shallow waters. - **Eaten by:** Golden Jackal (*Canis aureus*) — Preys on pelican eggs and vulnerable chicks. - **Symbiotic with:** [Great Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-cormorant) (*Phalacrocorax carbo*) — Often nests within Dalmatian Pelican colonies. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Dalmatian Pelican? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Dalmatian Pelican? 160-180 cm ### What is Dalmatian Pelican's wingspan? 270-320 cm ### How much does Dalmatian Pelican weigh? 10-15 kg ### How long does Dalmatian Pelican live? 16-25 years ### How fast can Dalmatian Pelican move? 55 km/h ### What does Dalmatian Pelican eat? These large birds primarily eat fish, scooping them up with their enormous beak pouches! ### Where is Dalmatian Pelican usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Tiergarten Nürnberg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tiergarten-nurnberg) — Bayern, DE · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Dalmatian Pelican: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dalmatian-pelican)