Dalmatian Pelican: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Herons, Egrets and Pelicans · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. This is the biggest pelican of all and one of the heaviest birds that can fly. Its wings usually span 2.7 to 3.2 m.
2. Its scientific name, crispus, means curly in Latin. It comes from the messy crest of curly feathers on the back of its head.
3. Its huge bill holds a pouch for scooping fish. Most of the year the pouch is yellow or grey, but in the breeding season it turns bright orange-red.
4. When cormorants dive and scare fish upward, the pelican swims in to grab them. If that fails, it may snatch a cormorant's catch.
5. Taking off from water is hard work. A heavy pelican pushes off with both feet and flaps its broad wings hard, especially with a pouch full of fish.

The quiz

1. What record does the Dalmatian pelican hold?

• Fastest swimming bird
• Largest pelican species (correct)
• Smallest pelican species
• Longest-living bird

It is the largest of all pelicans and one of the heaviest flying birds.

2. What does crispus, in its scientific name, mean?

• Curly (correct)
• Heavy
• Silver
• Fisher

Crispus means curly in Latin, after its curly head feathers.

3. What colour does the pelican's pouch turn in the breeding season?

• Deep blue
• Pure white
• Bright orange-red (correct)
• Black

The pouch becomes a vivid orange-red when breeding.

4. Which diving birds does the Dalmatian pelican sometimes steal fish from?

• Penguins
• Puffins
• Kingfishers
• Cormorants (correct)

It may raid cormorants coming up from a dive and take their fish.

5. How does a Dalmatian pelican get airborne from water?

• It jumps off a rock
• It waits for a big wave
• It pushes with both feet and flaps hard (correct)
• It floats until the wind lifts it

Takeoff needs strong pushes with both feet and heavy wing flapping.

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