Australia has a diversity of bird life and one of the most fascinating birds is the large water bird, the Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus). They are large birds and males are bigger than females. They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill.
There are seven species of pelicans in the world, all of which are similar in shape and, with one... Habitat. Pelicans are found everywhere in Australia (including Tasmania), except the waterless plains of inland Western Australia. Male Australian pelicans can weigh in excess of 10 kg, but 8 kg is a more usual upper weight. Recognised instantly by their massive bill and pouch, pelicans mainly eat fish, and they nest colonially. Australian Pelicans prefer large expanses of open water without too much aquatic vegetation. These pelicans are often found in warm fresh water. The pelicans are generally found in colder environments. The Australian Pelican is found across Australia and New Guinea on many inland and coastal waters but tends to avoid the very dry desert regions mainly located in the centre of the continent. Pelicans live for 15 to 25 years in the wild, although one reached an age of 54 years in captivity. These pelicans also occur in Indonesia and sometimes in New Zealand and …
It is a predominantly white bird with black wings and a pink bill.
There vocalisation is a chesty rumbling or deep growling. Challenges in their environment . Australian pelicans live in groups called colonies, in which up to 40,000 pelicans live near each other.Even young pelicans are very social birds. They soar spectacularly on thermals, occasionally to great heights (3000 m or more), and they display precise orchestration of movement when feeding cooperatively or flying in V formation. They live primarily in the lakes of Africa with a migratory route across Eastern Europe to Kazakhstan. It has been recorded as having the longest bill of any living bird. Australian Pelicans are found around most of Australia's coastline, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, parts of Indonesia and sometimes in New Zealand and some of the Pacific Islands which are close to Australia. Global Distribution. LOCATION & HABITAT The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea and western Indonesia, with occasional reports in New Zealand and various western Pacific islands. The female is slightly smaller than the male. The environment that they live in is shared with fish, pelicans often get tangled up with fishing lines and hooks. A pelican's bill is integral to his hunting, and it encourages him to live in areas where he can put it to good use. They have a long bill with a big throat pouch. The Australian Pelican is often seen around the coasts, where it can be seen roosting on sandbanks, rock platforms and reefs, or swimming in lagoons, bays and estuarine waters, dipping their oversized bills into the water to catch fish. Others of this species live and breed in the Dante River in Romania. The average rainfall is around 478mm each year.