Spot-billed Pelican

Grey Pelican ( Pelecanus philippensis )

The Grey Pelican ( Pelecanus philippensis ) lives in South and Southeast Asia in the interior in natural and applied by man wetlands to freshwater. He rarely occurs at the seashores on in brackish waters. Originally widespread in South and Southeast Asia, it still lives in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Breeding population there is in southeastern India, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. In Bangladesh, China and the Philippines, he is extinct. Occurrence in Malaysia are uncertain. Overall, there should be 7000-10000 birds in South Asia and 13000-17000 animals worldwide. The species is considered low risk.

Gray pelicans live in fresh and brackish waters. For nesting they need large trees.

Features

Grey Pelicans are about 1.27 to of 1.52 meters long and are thus smaller than most other pelican species. Males are slightly larger than females. The beak reaches a length of 28.5 to 35.5 cm. Your weight reaches 5 kg. Neck and the plumage of the upper surface is gray, the underside greyish - white, the under tail-coverts are mottled brown. Feet and legs are dark brown to blackish. The bill is pink or yellow-orange, the beak reddish bag. Both can be speckled dark. The naked eye ring is orange or yellowish, the skin glowing purple in front of the eye. On the back of the head the pelicans wear a mop of long brown feathers that have white tips. The wings are gray with dark brown or black pen points. Their underside is white, sometimes pink shimmering. The similar-looking Dalmatian Pelican ( P. crispus ) is larger and whiter. After the end of the breeding season loses the facial skin of birds to color and is paler, and the Crest is smaller.

Just hatched chicks are naked and have pale skin. But you is growing rapidly a white downy feathers. Later they get a brownish plumage.

Nutrition

Gray pelicans feed mainly on fish and supplement their diet with sometimes small reptiles, amphibians and crustaceans. The daily requirement should be 1 kg. They usually hunt alone, rarely in groups. Overall, their diet is but little explored.

Reproduction

Grey Pelicans nest in colonies on palms and other trees. On a tree three to 15 nests were counted. They often nest together with storks, herons or cormorants. Breeding season is from October to March. In the large nests built of twigs, placed at a distance of 36 to 48 hours, three to four eggs which are incubated for 30 days. The young birds are at first naked, later grows them a white downy feathers. By the age of four months, they fledge.