# Great White Pelican (*Pelecanus onocrotalus*) The Great White Pelican is a large, graceful bird with a big bill and white feathers. They are often seen gliding over lakes and wetlands, using their strong wings to soar high in the sky. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Great White Pelican](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pelikan_Walvis_Bay.jpg&width=800) Photo: Rui Ornelas from Lisboa, Portugal, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelikan_Walvis_Bay.jpg) ## Appearance The Great White Pelican has mostly pristine white plumage with contrasting black flight feathers visible when its wings are spread. It features a large, flattened bill, a striking yellow to orange throat pouch, and pinkish-yellow legs. Its sheer size and the distinctive pouch make it unmistakable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Pelecaniformes - **Family:** Pelecanidae - **Genus:** Pelecanus ## Interesting facts - A pelican's pouch can hold up to 3 gallons of water, more than its stomach! - Pelicans have a special bone on their tongue to help them swallow huge fish! - Their large feet are webbed, making them excellent swimmers in the water. - They often gather in flocks of thousands, creating a noisy spectacle! ## Special abilities - **Super Scoop Pouch:** Great White Pelican has a giant throat pouch that helps them scoop up large amounts of fish like a fishing net. - **Group Fishing Power:** Great White Pelicans can work together to herd fish, making it easier for them to catch meals. - **Sky Soaring Master:** Great White Pelicans can soar effortlessly on thermal air currents, saving energy during long flights. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 140-180 cm - **Wingspan:** 226-360 cm - **Weight:** 9-15 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-30 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 - **Incubation:** 29-36 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding These giant birds mostly eat fish, using their huge pouches to scoop up their slippery prey! - **Primary Foods:** tilapia, carp, cichlids, catfish, eels - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Nile Tilapia (*Tilapia nilotica*) — a primary food source in many habitats - **Hunts:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — a common and abundant fish prey species - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — may prey on eggs and young pelican chicks ## 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. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [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. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Great White 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 Great White Pelican? 140-180 cm ### What is Great White Pelican's wingspan? 226-360 cm ### How much does Great White Pelican weigh? 9-15 kg ### How long does Great White Pelican live? 10-30 years ### How fast can Great White Pelican move? 50 km/h ### What does Great White Pelican eat? These giant birds mostly eat fish, using their huge pouches to scoop up their slippery prey! ### Where is Great White Pelican usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Safariland Stukenbrock](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/safariland-stukenbrock) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo - [Zoo Hoyerswerda](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-hoyerswerda) — Sachsen, DE · Zoo - [Tierpark Gotha](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-gotha) — Thüringen, DE · Zoo - [Westküstenpark & Robbarium St. Peter-Ording](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/westkustenpark-st-peter-ording) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Zoo - [Zoo Stralsund](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-stralsund) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Great White Pelican](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-white-pelican) ## 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: [Great White Pelican: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-white-pelican)