- Scientific Name: Pelecanus conspicillatus
- Indonesian Name: Burung Pelikan
- Class: Aves
- Order: Pelecaniformes
- Country Origins: Australia, Papua New Guinea and western Indonesia, with occasional reports in New Zealand
- Province: Java, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua
Conservation Status
Extinct
Extinct in the Wild
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
General Information
Habitat:
Freshwater, estuarine and marine wetlands and waterways including lakes, swamps, rivers, coastal islands and shores.
Height:
170cm
Wingspan:
2.3 to 2.6 m
Weight:
4 to 13 kg
Diet:
Pelicans mainly eat fish, but they are opportunistic feeders and eat a variety of aquatic animals including crustaceans, tadpoles and turtles.
Lifespan:
25 years
Australian pelican
Fun Facts
They are one of the largest flying birds in the world; they also have the longest bills of any living bird
With a wingspan of about eight feet, Australian pelicans can remain in the air for over 24 hours and travel hundreds of miles as they catch breezes to help them soar
A Pelican’s Pouch Holds Up to Three Gallons of Water
The Australian pelican is a colonial breeder, grouping together with up to 40,000 fellow birds on secluded beaches or islands to mate
The earliest-known pelican fossil, discovered in France, dates back 30 million years.
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