| Common name | Australian pelican |
| Scientific name | Pelecanus conspicillatus |
| Type | Aves (Bird) |
| Diet | Carnivorous, eating mostly fish |
| Average lifespan | 10–25 years |
| Size | 1.6–1.8m long, with a 2.3–2.5 metre wingspan, weighing 4-7kg. Bill length is 40-50cm long. |
Conservation status: Not listed as a threatened species under the EPBC Act.
With a Guiness World Record for the longest bill of any bird in the world, and an impressive wingspan to match, the Australian pelican is synonymous with long stretches of coastline, lakeside jetties and beachside fish-and-chip picnics.
One of seven species of pelican found throughout the world, the Australian pelican is hard to miss, with a bill that can reach up to 50cm long in males.
The gular pouch (the stretchy skin attached to its lower jaw) and bill play an important role in finding dinner for the Aussie pelican, helping it locate fish in murky water. A hook at the tip of its upper mandible is also useful for gripping slippery fish.
The pouch isn’t used to store marine snacks for later as some may think, but instead acts as a type of fishing net, with the pelican plunging their bill into the water in the hope of catching prey. The bird then draws the pouch to its breast, emptying the water and manoeuvring its meal into position – so the prey’s head is pointed towards its throat – to swallow.
Habitat
The Australian pelican makes its home in estuarine, freshwater and marine wetlands, as well as coastal lagoons, swamps, rivers, lakes and seashores.
Distribution
Often the first on the scene when local fisherman return with a day’s catch, the Australian pelican is found across Australia’s entire coastline, as well as in Papua New Guinea, western Indonesia, with occasional sightings in New Zealand and other western Pacific islands.
Reproduction
The Australian pelican is a colonial breeder, grouping together with up to 40,000 fellow birds on secluded beaches or islands to mate. Females build a nest by scraping the ground with her bill and feet and lining the shallow depression with feathers and nearby vegetation. Male and female pelicans share the incubation of their eggs, with the average female laying two eggs per breeding season (which can take place at any time of the year). Chicks leave the nest to join up to 100 other chicks in a large group, known as a ‘crèche’, seeking safety in numbers. They stay in the crèche for about two months, until they can fly.
Threats
Threats include oil spills and marine pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, as well as habitat loss and predation by introduced predators.
Fascinating fact
The Australian pelican’s gular pouch can hold up to 13 litres of water.
