Birds · Pelecaniformes · Pelecanidae

Dalmatian Pelican

Pelecanus crispus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The largest of all the pelicans and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Silvery white plumage with dark wingtips, curled nape feathers that give it a shaggy look, grey legs and a gular pouch of intense orange in the breeding season that turns yellow for the rest of the year. The iris is pale and the bill clean, without spotting.

Weight

15 kg on average

Size

1.8 m on average

Diet

Piscivore

Feeds mainly on fish.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Estimated population

11,400-13,400 mature individuals

Piscivore Diurnal Colonial Near Threatened Bird

15countries 14parks7same family

Fun facts

It flies at around 75 km/h and the flocks move in synchrony, in very striking formations.
It fishes in groups: the flocks cooperate in driving a shoal of fish into the shallows, then dip and fill the gular pouch with fish and water, which they empty by raising the head.
Albania chose it for the 1 lek coin, minted in 1996, 2008 and 2013, because part of its wintering and migration range lies in the country.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Rivers, extensive wetlands and estuaries. It ranges from the eastern Mediterranean to the Taiwan Strait and from the Persian Gulf to Siberia, with short- and medium-distance migratory movements
Sexual maturity: Pairing takes place a week after arriving at the breeding grounds
Litter / clutch size: It nests in colonies in marshland. It is serially monogamous: it pairs by season, not for life, and starts courtship afresh each year

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; Animalia.bio (ficha con datos IUCN); Wikipedia (Dalmatian pelican); eBird; Johnsgard 1993; Svensson 2023; Bruch 1832