The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the most massive member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans that rival that of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. It is a short to medium distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. It is a whitish waterbird. Silvery-white breeding plumage. Yellow to purple bare skin around eyes. Orange-red gular pouch at onset of breeding becoming yellow later. Pale grey underwing becoming darker at wing-tips. Bushy crest on nape.
🗒 Synonyms
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🗒 Common Names
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📚 Overview
Summary
Bird group
Pelicans
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
📚 Natural History
Reproduction
Most nests are situated amongst aquatic vegetation on floating or stationary islands isolated from the mainland to avoid mammalian predators (Crivelli 1994; Peja et al. 1996; Pyrovetsi 1997) .
They are occasionally built on open ground (Hatzilacou 1993; Hatzilacou 1999; Nelson 2005).
Nests usually consist of a pile of reeds, grass and sticks approximately 1m high and 0.5-1.5m in diameter (del Hoyo et al. 1992; Nelson 2005).
It often tramples the vegetation between nests, and does not tend to nest in areas where such activities would generate deep mud (Nelson 2005).
The trampling activity damages the islands and therefore limits the number of years for which an island can be used for breeding (Catsadorakis and Crivelli 2001). On average sites in Greece were found to be used for three years in succession (Catsadorakis and Crivelli 2001). Artificial islands have proved successful as breeding sites in the past (Pyrovetsi 1997) and also in recent years (e.g. since 2008 in Romania [S. Bugariu in litt. 2012]).
Size
Relative Size (Birds)
Vulture±
Length: 160–180 cm; weight: 10–13 kg; wingspan: 310–345 cm; bill: 370–450 mm.
Morphology
Bill Shape (Birds)
Flat with elastic bag below
Long
Look Alikes
White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).
Trophic Strategy
It feeds almost entirely on fish, especially carp Cyprinus carpio, perch Perca fluviatilis, rudd scardinius erythrophthalmus, roach Rutilus rutilus, and pike Esox lucius in freshwater wetlands (del Hoyo et al. 1992), and eels, mullet, gobies and shrimps in brackish waters (Crivelli 1994; Peja et al. 1996). In its winter quarters on the Nile it takes mostly Siluridae (Nelson 2005). In the Mikri Prespa breeding colony in Greece it feeds predominantly on the endemic fish species Chalcalburnus belvica (Pyrovetsi and Economidis (1998).
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Marine
Freshwater
Inhabits in large rivers, beels and coastal lagoons.
Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine.
It occurs mainly at inland, freshwater wetlands but also at coastal lagoons, river deltas and estuaries (Crivelli et al. 1997; Mix and Bräunlich 2000; Peja et al. 1996; del Hoyo et al. 1992). Breeding It breeds on small islands in freshwater lakes (del Hoyo et al. 1992) or in dense aquatic vegetation (del Hoyo et al. 1992) such as reedbeds of Typha and Phragmites (Crivelli 1994; Peja et al. 1996; Pyrovetsi 1997; del Hoyo et al. 1992), often in hilly terrain (Nelson 2005). A few breed in Mediterranean coastal lagoons (Peja et al. 1996; Nelson 2005). The species makes use of habitats surrounding its breeding sites, including nearby islands and wetlands (Nelson 2005). Non-breeding On migration, large lakes form important stop-over sites (Nelson 2005). It typically winters on jheels and lagoons in India, and ice-free lakes in Europe (del Hoyo et al. 1992). It sometimes fishes inshore along sheltered coasts (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
Description
Global Distribution
India
Distribution In India
Winter visitor to India, except Deccan and South India
Distribution In Assam
Migratory in Assam (Kaziranga NP)
This species breeds in eastern Europe and east-central Asia, in Montenegro, Albania, Armenia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Mongolia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (Crivelli 1996, BirdLife International 2015). European breeders winter in the eastern Mediterranean countries, Russian and central Asian breeders in Iran, Iraq and the Indian subcontinent, and Mongolian birds along the east coast of China (Mix and Bräunlich 2000), including Hong Kong (China). Following massive declines during the 19th and 20th centuries, numbers stabilised between 10,000-20,000 individuals (including c.4,000-5,000 breeding pairs; Hatzilacou 1993) and several colonies have since increased, including at the species's largest colony, at Lake Mikri Prespa in Greece, as well as in Albania, Montenegro, European Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey (Crivelli et al. 1997, A. Crivelli in litt. 2003, Onmus et al. 2011, S. Bugariu in litt. 2012, BirdLife International 2015, Catsadorakis and Portolou 2017). The largest current populations are believed to be in Kazakhstan (3,000-3,200 pairs), Russia (1,500-2,700 pairs) and Greece (1,900 pairs) (Catsadorakis and Portolou 2017). The largest colony, at Lake Mikri Prespa, Greece, numbers c.1,400 breeding pairs (M. Malakou in litt. 2009) and there are around 450 pairs in the Danube Delta (S. Bugariu in litt. 2007). The total European population is estimated at 3,000-3,600 pairs (BirdLife International 2015). The Mongolian population continues to decline and is almost extinct (S. Chan in litt. 2003).
Global Distribution
Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; China; Egypt; Georgia; Greece; Hong Kong; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Lebanon; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Pakistan; Romania; Russian Federation (Central Asian Russia, European Russia); Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan Possibly extinct: Bangladesh Regionally extinct: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Germany; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Vagrant: Algeria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Italy; Japan; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Latvia; Norway; Oman; Poland; Slovakia; Spain; Taiwan, Province of China; United Arab Emirates; Western Sahara Present - origin uncertain: Serbia; Sri Lanka
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Trends
Decreasing
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Category
Vulnerable
Geoprivacy
Yes
IUCN Redlist Status: Vulnerable
Red List Category & Criteria: Near Threatened ver 3.1
Threats
Former declines were primarily caused by wetland drainage, shooting and persecution by fishers (Crivelli 1994, Crivelli et al. 1997, Mix and Bräunlich 2000). Cases of illegal shooting are still reported (e.g. four shootings in 2009 in the Danube Delta; B. Barov in litt. 2009) and hunting is considered one of the main threats for the east Asian population (Shi et al. 2008, Yat-tung Yu and Chen Zhihong 2008).
Other continuing threats include disturbance from tourists and fishers, wetland alteration and destruction, water pollution, collision with overhead power-lines and over-exploitation of fish stocks (Crivelli et al. 1999, Hatzilacou 1993, Mix and Bräunlich 2000).
Organochloride residues including DDT have been recorded in high levels in the eggs of this species and those of its prey (Albanis et al. 1995). Hunting by herders (for traditional use of the bill) continues to threaten the Mongolian population (Mix and Bräunlich 2000).
Nest predation by wild boar at times of low water levels is the most important threat to the Bulgarian breeding colony (N. Petkov in litt. 2007).
The breeding colonies in Mediterranean lagoons in Albania and Turkey are threatened by coastal developments and the alteration of the functioning of the lagoons (Peja et al. 1996).
In March 2015 avian flu (H5N1 virus) killed at least 45 adult Dalmatian Pelicans in the breeding colony at Srebarna Biosphere Reserve, Bulgaria (P. Simeonov in litt. 2017).
Legislation
CITES Status
Appendix I
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
📚 Information Listing
References
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2016. Checklist of the birds of India (v1.1). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 03 October, 2016].
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2018. Checklist of the birds of India (v2.0). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 31 January, 2018].
- Elliott, A., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Kirwan, G.M. & Sharpe, C.J. (2018). Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52613 on 25 April 2018). Date of access - 25/04/2018.
- BirdLife International. 2017. Pelecanus crispus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22697599A119401118. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22697599A119401118.en. Downloaded on 25 April 2018. Date of access - 25/04/2018.
Information Listing > References
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2016. Checklist of the birds of India (v1.1). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 03 October, 2016].
- Praveen J., Jayapal, R., & Pittie, A., 2018. Checklist of the birds of India (v2.0). Website: http://www.indianbirds.in/india/ [Date of publication: 31 January, 2018].
- Elliott, A., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Kirwan, G.M. & Sharpe, C.J. (2018). Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52613 on 25 April 2018). Date of access - 25/04/2018.
- BirdLife International. 2017. Pelecanus crispus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22697599A119401118. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22697599A119401118.en. Downloaded on 25 April 2018. Date of access - 25/04/2018.
Vertebrate fauna of the Chambal River Basin, with emphasis on the National Chambal Sanctuary, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaForecasting ecological impacts of sea-level rise on coastal conservation areas in India
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Journal of Threatened TaxaAn updated checklist of birds of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India
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Journal of Threatened TaxaNo Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Pelecanidae |
| Genus | Pelecanus |
| Species | Pelecanus crispus Bruch 1832 |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
