Pelican beak what. Curly pelican. The lifestyle of pelicans and their diet
In the middle of the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus included in his biological system a detachment of pelicans (Pelecaniformes). In the detachment, the pelican family (Pelecanidae) was formed, which included pink pelican(Pelecanus onocrotalus).
These birds received the first part of the name “pink” by the color of their plumage. The second part reflects the grandeur of the beak: the Latin word pelicanus means an axe. In addition to the accepted name pink pelican, the names white pelican, large white pelican and eastern white pelican are found.
The popular name sounds like “Baba-bird”. This nickname is based on Turkic roots. Can be interpreted as "parent bird". Moreover, the attitude towards the offspring of these birds is legendary.
The myth of how the bird tore its own flesh and watered the chicks with blood has been known since pre-Christian times. Pelican and today symbolizes the sacrificial love for the younger generation.
Description and features
The remarkable beak is the main feature of the bird. In adults, it can reach 29-47 centimeters. The neck is long, curved in the shape of the letter "s". The heavy beak makes it necessary to keep the neck and head on the back most of the time.
There are other outstanding features as well. Pelican weighs 10-15 kilograms pink, curly pelican- the only relative that weighs more. The wingspan reaches 3.6 meters. According to this indicator, the bird takes the second place. Only the large albatross has a larger wingspan.
The length of the bird from the beginning of the beak to the end of the tail is 1.75-1.85 meters. The length of the tail reaches 20 centimeters. Paws are strong, short: from 13 to 15 centimeters. Females are slightly 10-15 percent smaller than males. The detachment of pelicans has a second name: copepods. Because of the webs that connect the fingers on the paws.
The plumage of the bird is white with a pink tinge, intensifying in the abdominal part of the body. The main flight feathers have a black fan, the rods are white. The secondary ones have gray fans.
The areas around the eyes are devoid of feathers, the skin is colored pink. The beak is a steel-gray color with a red ending and a red outline of the upper jaw. The lower jaw is connected to the throat pouch. This is a stretchy pouch in gray with a yellow or cream tint.
Subspecies
The pink pelican lives in vast territories stretching from Eastern Europe to the very south of Africa and from the Balkans to the Philippines. However, no subspecies has formed within this species. Local communities differ in their color, size, and anatomical details.
In addition, individual variability is developed. But these variations are insignificant, and do not give grounds for classifying any population as an independent subspecies. Despite living in very different conditions pink pelican - bird monotypic type.
Lifestyle and habitat
Pelicans live in flocks ranging from a few to several hundred individuals. Flocks include birds of all ages. These are accommodating birds, they coexist well with other birds. There are times when males become more aggressive. This happens during marriage.
The confrontation bears little resemblance to a real duel and is rather demonstrative in nature. The bird stretches its beak up, strikes them in the direction of the enemy. Makes sounds similar to a pig grunt. The opponent is either removed or responds with similar actions.
With luck, one of the participants grabs the other's beak. By force, he tilts his head and fixes it (the opponent's head) in this position for 2-3 seconds. This is where the duel ends. Females show readiness for defense and attack when hatching eggs. While in the nest, the female does not let strangers closer than a meter away.
The approach of a bird to its own and someone else's nest is carried out according to a certain ritual. When approaching its nest, the pelican makes snorting sounds. The female leaves the nest with her head bowed. Birds pass by other people's nests with ajar wings, with their neck and beak stretched upwards.
Nests are located in areas inaccessible to predators: in thickets of aquatic vegetation. On islands formed from reeds and algae, shell banks and sandy drifts. Such places of the flock are found in fresh and salt water bodies, in the lower reaches of large rivers. Flocks may migrate from nesting sites in search of areas rich in fish.
There are both sedentary and populations. The flock can spend winter and summer in Africa or fly there for the winter. Migrants usually mix with local flocks. As a result, it is very difficult to determine the scale of movements, the ratio of wintering and migratory birds. Ringing, which ornithologists use to determine the paths and extent of migration, does not yet give qualitative results.
Food
Pelicans eat only fish. The process of catching it is remarkable. Birds use collective food prey, which is extremely rare among birds. They line up in a chain. They flap their wings, make a lot of noise and move slowly towards the shore. Thus, the fish is driven out into shallow water, where it is caught by pelicans.
There is no reliable evidence that this species can dive. Pink pelican in the photo or in the video it only lowers its beak, head and neck into the water. The process of fishing is similar to scooping fish with a ladle. Successful anglers may be joined by cormorants or other birds.
Reproduction and lifespan
Before nesting begins, individual flocks form large colonies. These communities can number in the thousands. After the flock adjoins the common colony, the creation of pairs begins. Birds are monogamous, but families remain only during the mating season.
When choosing a partner, single males gather in groups and demonstrate themselves by raising their heads and making sounds similar to lowing. Then the pursuit of the female is organized. There may be several gentlemen seeking reciprocity.
Then there are brief confrontations in which the strongest and most active male is determined. The first stage of pair formation ends. Birds begin to care for each other.
Pair swimming, short joint flights, walks on land - are included in the flirting program. At the same time, special postures are taken and special sounds are made. Courtship ends with finding a nest site.
The couple bypasses all the territory suitable for this purpose. During the selection of a convenient site, the couple may be attacked by other applicants. The protection of the place for the future nest is active, but without victims.
After choosing a site for the nest, mating occurs. During the day, the birds connect several times. After copulation, nest formation begins. The main builder is the female. The male brings branches, grass, reeds.
Stealing from neighbors is not considered shameful in any bird colony. Pelicans are prone to this method of obtaining material. The base of the nest can be up to one meter in diameter. In height, the structure rises by 30-60 centimeters.
The female lays only two eggs with an interval of one or two days. From the moment the first egg appears in the nest, incubation begins. This is what the female does. The male sometimes replaces her. If the clutch dies within 10 days, the eggs can be laid again.
Incubation ends in 30-40 days. All pairs in the flock have chicks at the same time. They hatch naked, overgrown with fluff only after three days. Both parents are involved in feeding. At first, the young are passive about food and parents have to stimulate food intake.
Then the younger generation gets a taste and vigorously climbs into the parent's beak and throat for food. At a week old, the chicks move from partially digested food to small fish. As the feeders grow, so does the size of the fish fed to them by adult birds. The throat bag is used as a feeder.
The couple feeds two chicks, but they are of different ages. The older one hatches one or two days earlier. It is larger than the second chick. Sometimes, for no reason, attacks a younger relative, beats him with his beak and wings. But, in the end, the couple manages to feed both pets.
After 20-30 days, the chicks part with the nest. A flock of young is being created. They swim together but feed only from their parents. 55 days after birth, the chicks begin to fish on their own. When 65-75 days pass from birth, young pelicans begin to fly and lose dependence on their parents. After three years, the birds are ready to mate.
Despite all efforts, pink pelicans, like other near-water birds, are subject to the threat of predator attacks. Foxes, other medium predators sometimes find a way to get to the bird colony. They destroy masonry, kill chicks, encroach on adult birds.
Nest devastation can be done by seagulls. But predator attacks do little damage. The main problem is caused by human economic activity. In the 20th and 21st centuries, there is a constant decrease in the number of pelicans. Now the number of these birds is 90 thousand pairs. Thanks to these numbers pink pelican in the red book received the status of LC (Least Concern).
80 percent of the entire population is located in Africa. The main African nesting sites are the Mauritania National Park. 15-20 thousand individuals build nests in southern Asia. In the entire Palearctic, only 5-10 thousand specimens are trying to breed.
That is, separate, traditional places for this bird, can be visited by dozens, at best, hundreds of birds. Therefore, everywhere the bird is under state protection.
Most likely, there is no such person on Earth who would not be familiar with this bird. It is so unusual that even a child recognizes a pelican in the pictures. He is the only member of the family with the same name. Despite this, the pelican is distributed on almost all continents. This bird is very large and has some features - they allow you to distinguish it from others.
Its varieties have slight differences in size, shape and color.
What is unusual about a pelican
This bird differs from others in the shape of its beak. It is very long and wide, exceeding the length of the head by about five times. No bird on the planet has such a large and capacious beak. Distinctive feature The pelican is a leathery bag at its base, which holds up to 15 liters of water. With its help, these birds catch fish. They can carry up to 4 kilograms of prey in it. In addition, this bag is densely permeated with capillaries and is used for thermoregulation in the heat.
Despite their slowness and apparent heaviness, pelicans swim very well, fly fast, and can soar. And the brown pelican can quickly rush from a height into the water for prey. In order to mitigate the consequences of such diving, these birds have many air sacs between the bones, and a pillow of feathers on the chest. But other species cannot dive, however, a layer of air between the feathers helps them stay on the water well.
Another unusual species of these birds is the white pelican. It is also sometimes called the hornbill. After all, in the middle of his beak there is a small growth resembling a horn. Its feathers are white, with black edges, so it is sometimes referred to as black and white.
Another amazing feature of these birds is that they do not have nostrils, they breathe directly through their beaks. Usually pelicans are silent and rarely make any sounds. But those that can be heard are more like grunts, growls or grunts than bird voices. Having seen this unusual creature at least once, you will never forget what a pelican bird looks like.
Description and appearance
This is one of the largest birds, reaching a length of almost two meters. Their wingspan is almost three meters, and their weight can be up to 15 kilograms. By what signs can you recognize a pelican? So:
- clumsy massive body;
- very large wings, their span reaches more than three meters;
- with a web between the fingers;
- long curved neck;
- wide and large beak with a leathery bag at the bottom;
- loosely fitting plumage and an air gap under the skin that helps them fly and swim.
Lifestyle
Varieties of pelicans
Eight species belong to this family, and only two of them are found on the territory of Russia. This is a curly and pink pelican. The names of subspecies are associated with the characteristics of birds and reflect their color or appearance. There is also a black and white pelican, gray and brown. Some species are listed in the Red Book. They die from the poisoning of rivers and seas with chemicals, the draining of swamps, and also because of catching birds for the extraction of the skin, which is used for tailoring.
Six species of pelicans live near freshwater rivers and lakes, and only two prefer the sea coast - brown and Chilean. But they all sleep only on land, so it is impossible to meet these birds far out to sea.
Almost all pelicans are the same in behavior, they differ only in appearance and sizes. One of the species that lives in America stands apart. The brown pelican, unlike the others, can dive, entering the water from a height. Often it reaches 20 meters. In order not to damage the neck when hitting the water, the bird throws its head back and presses it to its back.
And the rest of the dive is prevented by the presence of a large number of air bubbles between the feathers. This is such an unusual pelican bird. Photos of them in flight or while hunting show how beautiful and amazing they are.
How pelicans fly
This heavy massive bird can take off only from a running start, noisily beating its wings. But in flight, they do not look clumsy at all. They measure their wings, skillfully use the ascending air currents and soar, and can also spiral high up. In flight, they can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. Pelicans keep their neck curved, throwing their heads back so that the long beak does not outweigh. When they fly over a long distance, the birds line up in a wedge. A flock of these birds in flight is a very beautiful sight. Pelicans sit on the water, slowing down with their paws and splashing noisily against it.
How do pelicans hunt?
This is a flocking bird, so they also get food in groups. Pelicans hunt in different ways. Very often a flock of birds walks in shallow water, lowering their beaks into the water and scooping it up with their nets. There is also a fish there. They have a hook at the end of their bill to hold slippery prey. Pelicans also use it to catch large fish.
Having scooped up water, the pelican raises its head and squeezes it out of its beak, then swallowing all the caught fish. If a large fish is caught in its beak, the bird is forced to first throw it up so that it turns head down in flight. That's the only way he can swallow it. At this time, nimble gulls sometimes steal prey from these clumsy birds.
To drive the fish into shallow water, pelicans flap their wings noisily. Sometimes they stand in two lines and drive the fish towards each other. The brown pelican's method of hunting is very interesting. He rises high into the sky and dives noisily, hitting his chest against the water. On the chest of this bird there is a large pillow of feathers, so the blow does not cause harm to it, but the fish stalls from a strong roar and floats to the surface, becoming easy prey for birds.
Pelican nesting
Most of these birds nest in trees or shrubs, building large nests out of twigs and other similar debris. The builder is the female, and the male brings the material. Sometimes several pairs build one large nest, which is a huge pile of branches, feathers, leaves and droppings. But large pelicans nest on the ground in thickets of grass or reeds, and sometimes right on stones, using their feathers for construction.
The female lays only 2-3 eggs, which are yellowish or bluish in color. She incubates them for a month. The chicks hatch naked and blind. Only after two weeks they dress in down, and remain helpless for more than two months. All this time, the parents feed the chick with semi-digested fish directly from their beak. It is interesting to observe the process of feeding from the side, when the baby puts its head into the wide-open beak of an adult bird.
Pelicans living in our country
In the Black Sea region, on the coast in Altai and in Kazakhstan, the pink pelican nests. Its peculiarity is that the feathers are pinkish in color with a black border around the edge. His legs are also pink, and the bag under his beak is yellow. There is also an ocher patch on the chest. On the head of this bird is a high crest of pointed feathers. In this way, it is similar to another species that lives in our country - a curly pelican, which is larger and does not have a pink color. Its feathers are white with a gray tint, and its paws are also gray. They named him so because on his head and neck his feathers are slightly twisted and form something like a mane. These pelicans are endangered and are protected.
Attitude to this bird in different countries
The pelican is a bird so unusual that since ancient times many legends and myths have been composed about it. Among Muslims, the pelican was considered a sacred bird that helped build Mecca. The Turkic peoples politely called him "Baba-bird". He was also revered in Europe. The method of feeding one's own children commanded respect, and it became a symbol of the selfless love of parents. Until now, the image of a pelican feeding chicks has been painted at the entrance to the St. Petersburg Pedagogical University.
Russian name- Pink Pelican
English name e - Great white pelican
Latin name- Pelecanus onocrotalus
Detachment- Pelicans (Pelecaniformes)
Family- Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Genus- Pelicans (Pelecanus) total 8 species
Pelican is a representative of one of the most ancient groups of birds, the owner of a huge throat bag, thanks to which the bird is easily recognizable.
The status of the species in nature
The pink pelican is listed in the International Red Book as a species that currently causes the least concern - IUCN (LC) status.
View and person
The history of the relationship between the pelican and man goes back thousands of years and ranges from worship to competition.
The Egyptians, for example, kept pelicans as ornamental pets, and the birds roamed freely in the palace gardens. Among Muslims, this bird was considered sacred; According to legend, the pelican participated in the construction of the Kaaba in Mecca. The first Christians saw the pelican as a symbol of boundless paternal love and self-sacrifice: in order to feed the chicks, the pelican sacrifices its own insides! This legend was inspired by the behavior of the chicks, which get so deep into the throat of their parents for food that it seems that they do not take out pieces of fish, but the bloody parts of the body of an adult bird. In the works of the Middle Ages - in numerous works illustrated with miniatures, and on many coats of arms - the pelican is present as a symbol of martyrdom and holiness. The legend of a pelican sacrificing itself to save its offspring has survived centuries and has survived to this day, many people believe in it today.
Despite the sympathy caused by the bird, there is a category of people who are not so friendly towards it. Fishermen living close to pelican colonies believe that the birds harm them as competitors in the fishery. They chase pelicans and destroy their colonies. Birds also suffer from indirect consequences of human proximity, in particular, the growing exploitation of reed beds devastates nesting sites.
Distribution and habitats
Fossils of the ancestors of pelicans have been found in rocks that are about 100 million years old. The bones of birds very similar to modern pelicans are found in sediments dating back to 10,000 years. Paleontological studies have established that pelicans were much more widespread in Europe than they are now, they were found in Germany and even in Great Britain.Currently, their range is much to the south. In areas with a temperate climate, pelicans are not found. Pink pelicans nest mainly in the deltas of the rivers flowing into the Caspian and Black Sea, on lakes Manych-Gudilo, Balkhash, on the reservoirs of Asia Minor and in North-East Africa. They winter on lakes in southern Africa. There are local, non-migratory populations in northeast Africa from Senegal to Lake Nyasa, northwest Hindustan and Indochina.
In Russia, in the north of the Caspian Sea, birds appear in the spring already in March and, before nesting, they stay in groups in the place of future colonies. Nesting colonies are located in shallow areas of reservoirs, in reeds, where floating islands are formed from dead plant stems, on which birds make nests. Bird nests can also be arranged on sandy islands. In such cases, they prefer open areas with the best view.
Appearance and morphology
The pink pelican is a large massive bird with a clumsy body and huge wings. An adult bird weighs 10–11 kg, males are slightly larger than females. The wingspan reaches 3.5 m, like that of huge soaring birds - the wandering albatross and the Andean condor. The legs are short, the neck is long. For swimming, the legs of pelicans, like all waterfowl, are equipped with membranes. However, in ducks, for example, only three front fingers are connected by membranes. The first finger, free and short, is turned back and does not participate in the movement. In pelicans, it is quite long, directed inward of the leg and connected by a membrane to other fingers, which ensures better movement in the water. When landing, the membrane plays the role of both air and water brakes.
In all birds whose life is connected with water, the coccygeal gland is well developed, in the pelican it is very large. A bunch of short feathers grows on it and there are 7–9 slotted holes. With the secret of this gland, the pelican lubricates its feathers, which increases their water resistance and reduces water resistance.
A distinctive feature of the pelican is the beak, the length of which is 4–5 times the length of the head, and the skin throat pouch, which can be very stretched. The pink pelican has a throat sac of about 12 liters. At the end of the beak there is a sharp hook that helps to hook the fish. The throat sac, the walls of which are penetrated by a large number of blood vessels, also acts as a thermoregulator, like the ears of an elephant. In hot weather, the pelican stretches the bag and moves it sharply, which increases blood circulation through thin blood vessels, cooling it somewhat upon contact with air.
The coloration of both sexes is the same, almost white, with a pinkish tinge. The flight feathers of the wings are black, with a white core. Around the eyes, behind the eyes, on the forehead and on the lower jaw there are non-feathered areas. On the head of a pink pelican there is a crest of elongated pointed feathers. The throat sac is yellowish, most bright in adult birds during the mating season. Legs are yellow or pinkish.
The plumage of pelicans does not fit tightly to the body, thus reducing specific gravity birds. Like other birds, pelicans have lightweight bones, and a special cellular structure, reminiscent of a system of struts, gives a greater density to the bones. But even more “lightness” is given to pelicans by special air “bags” inside the body. They envelop the lungs, abdominal organs and bones, especially in the wings. These air-filled formations help the massive birds stay in the air, but they also prevent them from diving.
On land, the pelican looks awkward, but it is a magnificent flyer, making about 70 flaps per minute during the flight and able to soar like birds of prey.
Feeding and feeding behavior
Pelicans feed on fish, and they can catch and swallow large fish. The daily requirement of a vessel is 900-1200 g. These birds cannot dive and, when catching fish, immerse their neck and front part of the body into the water.
Pelicans often arrange collective fishing: from 6 to 20 or more birds line up in a semicircle and, flapping their beaks and wings on a rein, drive a school of fish into shallow water, where they catch it with their "net". Having caught the prey, the pelican first pours water out of its beak, then swallows the food. If a large fish is caught, the bird first throws the fish up, trying to catch it with its head, so that when swallowed, it does not damage its esophagus with sharp fins.
Lifestyle and social organization
The main activity of pelicans, like other daytime birds, is confined to the morning and evening hours. Birds rest during the day.
Pelicans are flocking birds. All their vital activity - feeding, nesting, migration, rest - pass in each other's society. About a single bird, you can sovereignly say that it is lost, injured, or sick. Flock sizes can vary from 10–12 to several thousand individuals, depending on the time of year, the type of activity and the number of birds in the area.
Life standing up has its advantages: firstly, it is easier to detect a predator and it is easier to counter it. Secondly, joint fishing increases the efficiency of fishing: it is easier to find schools of fish and catch them. The actions of the pelicans during the corral of fish are so coordinated that it seems that they are led by an invisible conductor. Such a high degree of cooperation is observed only by upelicans.
Among the members of the flock, it is impossible to single out a leader, each bird joins in and rises and takes a place on an equal footing with others. Only adult birds have some advantage over immature ones, they occupy best places at the time of fishing, and they get the best prey.
Aggressive interactions between birds are observed when trying to steal prey or nest building material. Serious fights are rare, but with a sharp hook at the end of their beaks, pelicans can inflict serious wounds.
Vocalization
The sounds made by pelicans, deaf growling, growling and grunting, are very low. Pelicans "sound" mainly in the nesting colony, the rest of the time the birds are mostly silent.
Reproduction and education of offspring.
In regions with a pronounced seasonality, nesting occurs in the spring, in Africa, all year round. Arriving at the nesting site, the birds form pairs. The mating ritual is a complex dance, during which the partners alternately rise into the air and descend on the water, making peculiar mumbling sounds. In the end, they rub their beaks and evaporate. The male and female do not part until the end of the upbringing of the chicks.
The nest site is chosen by the female. Usually these are low sandy or loamy islands, vast arrays of reeds. In the selected area, the female scrapes the ground with her beak, and the male begins to collect material for the nest. He brings it in his beak and throat bag and lays it out in front of his girlfriend, who sorts these building materials. Females during this period have to be especially vigilant, since males often steal the nesting material of their neighbors. Nests can be located very close to each other, almost back to back.
The upelican tab usually has two eggs, which the parents incubate in turn. A month later, absolutely naked chicks of a bright pink color hatch. During the first two weeks of life, the chicks feed on a kind of gruel, which is regurgitated by their parents. Gradually, they move on to semi-digested, and then fresh fish, taking out its parental goiter. At the same time, the chick almost hides in the huge beak of an adult bird and “emerges” from there with a gray-haired one in its own beak. This spectacle is so impressive that it was the impetus for the creation of the legend of the opelic, which feeds the chicks with its own insides.
The first downy outfit of dark brown color appears on chicks on the 8-10th day. Gradually, the color of the chicks acquires a reddish tint, then brightens. The final adult outfit of the bird is dressed only in the third year of life.
At the age of three to four weeks, the chicks unite in the nursery under the supervision of several adult birds. This allows collective fishing for the maximum number of birds in the colony at the same time. The parents return from the fishing grounds full of food for the chicks. Pelican cubs acquire the ability to swim and fish at the age of about two months, after which they leave the nursery. At this time, they can dive and swim underwater for a short time, which they do in case of danger. Young birds begin to fly at the age of 2.5 months, and they become adults only at 3–4 years.
Lifespan
In captivity, pelicans live up to 30 years, in nature, less.
Pink Pelicans at the Moscow Zoo
The oldest living pink pelicans arrived at the zoo as young in 1988. Despite the fact that the birds were born in the wild, they are not at all afraid of people and treat them very trustingly. Pelicans live in the New Territory of the Zoo in a mixed flock - pink and curly. They spend their summers on a small pond adjacent to the "Birds, Butterflies" pavilion, and the azim in the pavilion. They are fed twice a day - pollock, herring, carp are given. Pelicans take part of the food from their hands, the other part is thrown into the water so that the birds can catch it themselves.
In captivity, pink pelicans rarely give birth, for many years the birds lived in the zoo, not breeding. The first chick was born only in 2013. Since then, pelicans have been building nests and raising chicks every year. Pairs are stable, but each bird has its own character. For a water couple, for example, both parents alternately heat the masonry, and the other very caring dad almost does not allow his girlfriend to incubate. At first she tried to argue with him, but then she reconciled herself.
The upelican breeding season has finally shifted to winter, so that the chicks hatch in March. This takes place in a warm room of the pavilion, where visitors can see nests, chicks. When the pond thaws, the pelicans are released into the street, the chicks are already grown up, but still in the "childish" plumage, they are easy to recognize. Mowing some of the young birds leaves for other zoos.
Pelicans (lat. Pelecanus) are well known even to first-graders. These birds with a huge leather bag in the lower part of the beak delight and fascinate.
The genus of pelicans, by the way, is the only one in the pelican (copepod) family, it has 8 species of birds. Only two of them are found on the territory of Russia - curly and pink. Moreover, both species are migratory, only curly winters in India, Pakistan, Iran and South China, and pink - on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
In general, pelicans like to settle on the shores of shallow lakes and in shallow sea water. The fact is that they feed exclusively on fish, they just don’t know how to dive for it - their plumage is too loose, it does not fit snugly to the body and gets wet quickly, and the body is too light and does not want to go under water. So they have to splash on the shallows, snatching a fish at the very surface of the water.
Pelicans do this with great pleasure and in a very organized manner: they will gather in a semicircle at a depth and begin to flap their wings and beaks with all their might in the water, driving the frightened schooling fish closer to the shore.
Sometimes cormorants, grebes, gulls and terns join them, and then it becomes quite noisy. In shallow water, they will only have to collect prey with their huge beak, the length of which exceeds the size of the head by 5-6 times.
Along with the fish, salt water also enters the mouth, but pelicans do not swallow it. With their heads tilted forward, they pour it back out, then toss the catch into the air so that the fish does a somersault and falls head first into the throat. True, sometimes such a maneuver leaves them hungry - seagulls, which just a minute ago helped to fish side by side, are now turning into competitors and are ready to literally snatch prey from their mouths.
Fortunately, they do not always succeed. In addition, while feeding chicks, pelicans do not scatter fish, but immediately carry it to their beloved little ones. Seeing how hungry chicks fumble with their beaks in their parents' mouths, people for some reason decided that birds feed their offspring with their own insides, so pelicans have become a symbol of parental love and selflessness.
Or maybe the appearance of the legend was facilitated by the red plumage on the chest in the wedding dress, which led to believe that birds tear their own chests to feed insatiable children ... Whatever it was, but "pelicans feeding their children" firmly entered European heraldry.
These 7-14 kg birds with a body length of 130 to 180 cm and a 47 cm beak with a hook at the end look rather awkward on the ground: a massive body with large wings and thick, short legs with a webbing between the fingers does not allow graceful movement.
But in the sky they look amazing - pelicans are able to deftly use ascending air currents and soar above the ground for a long time. They take off with a running start, during the flight they hold their heads with the letter S, like herons and marabou.
Their pairs are formed for a long time, so there are no too violent mating games. The female finds her last year's nest and sits in it, and her husband discovers it here.
“Bachelors” and “unmarried” get acquainted simply: males approach a group of females and begin to slowly talk, pacing around with a quiet mutter. It is the ladies who choose the gentlemen and, as a sign of consent, rub their beak on the partner's beak.
The nest is built by the expectant mother, the father only carries material for it. There are 2-3 eggs in the clutch, but, unfortunately, according to statistics, only one chick will survive. Incubation lasts a month and a half. After hatching, the chicks fledge at about 75 days of age. Pelicans live for a long time, in captivity they can reach the 20th anniversary.
This bird is known to everyone thanks to its huge wide beak. Scientists have established that it is one of the most ancient. She is already a couple of tens of millions of years old. Have you guessed which of the birds we are talking about? Of course it's a pelican. Where does this bird live and what does it eat? Why does she have such a beak? You will find answers to these and many other questions in our article.
Pelicans: habitat, lifestyle
Translated from Greek, the name of this bird means "cut with an axe." People often compared its beak to that of a woodpecker. There is one interesting species among these birds, which is called the baba bird. It's a pink pelican. Where does the bird live and how did it deserve such a name? It means "father" in Hindi. In India and Pakistan, it is considered an honorary title. Since pelicans are thermophilic, they inhabit the coasts of Africa and southern Europe. All of them are migratory. And where do pelicans live in our country? They can be found on the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas, rivers of the Altai Territory and Kazakhstan.
All species of these birds are waterfowl. Therefore, they can be found on the banks of rivers, lakes and seas. The basis of the diet of pelicans is fish. Therefore, they settle in reservoirs, where its quantity is sufficient for food.
Features of external signs
The pelican is quite large. Among them there are specimens up to 1.5 meters long, weighing up to 14 kg. Pelican has a massive body with large wings and a rounded tail. Its reliable support is thick short legs. Since the pelican is a waterfowl, there are wide membranes between its fingers. A peculiar adaptation to catching fish is a long neck.
The place where the pelican lives is the coast. Birds spend most of their time in the water, where they hunt and dive. Their plumage is loosely attached to the skin. For this reason, they quickly get wet. Pelicans have to wring out feathers with their beaks.
The color of the bird can be gray or white, often with a pink tinge. There are dark spots on the flight feathers. On the head, feathers often form a kind of crest. Pelicans show sexual dimorphism. Males are larger than females, and their coloration is much brighter. Usually pelicans are silent. They make sounds only during the nesting period.
Why does a pelican have such a beak
What is the main distinguishing feature of these birds? Of course, this is a wide beak, at the end of which there is a hook. The beak is several times the length of the head itself. In some species, its length is about 50 cm.
On the underside of the beak, the skin forms a bag. It is capable of stretching, so it fits 15 liters of water or 4 kg of fish.
The place where the pelican lives is always rich in fish. The favorite delicacy of these birds is pike, goby, carp, mullet. In order to be properly satiated, a pelican needs to catch about 2 kg of fish. These birds do not disdain toads, shrimps and crabs. But if this food is not in the reservoir, pelicans can attack other birds, keeping them under water for a long time. Most often, this fate befalls gulls and ducks.
nesting
Pelicans live in flocks, which number several hundred pairs. They also live in groups during the interbreeding period. Other species of coastal birds often live near them.
Pelicans do not have a clear division of responsibilities. But together they feel much safer. Pelicans are very friendly birds. Conflicts between them are quite rare. Only sometimes pelicans fight with their beaks for treats or branches for construction.
Despite their considerable weight, these birds fly very well. True, in order to soar into the air, they need a decent run. And they can soar in the air only in the presence of air currents. Since pelicans are migratory birds, they can also fly long distances. At the same time, they replace several leaders, each of which sets the pace for the flight of the entire flock.
Reproduction and care of offspring
Pelican nests, pairs of which form only for one season, can be found in trees and in bushes. Sometimes they are so impressive that several pairs settle in them. Large species usually nest directly on the ground, rocks, grass or reed beds.
As building materials pelicans use all available means: branches, leaves, feathers, plant debris, droppings and clay. Moreover, the female is engaged in the construction of the dwelling. The male produces material for this. One clutch usually contains 2-3 eggs. They may be blue or yellowish in color. The shell is loose, rough to the touch.
The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but if necessary, the father of the future family also participates in this. This continues for about 40 days. Nesting type chicks. After birth, they are helpless, blind and naked for a couple of weeks. But even when plumage appears, adult pelicans take care of their chicks for another 2 months. They feed them with fish that they regurgitate from their stomachs. By the end of this period, young individuals become capable of flight.
Since the parents spend a long time in search of food, almost half of the chicks die. They may become prey to predators or freeze.
Pelican and interesting facts about birds
Since the place where the pelican lives always suggests a large number of fish, birds hunt it together. They line up in one row, beat their wings on the water and drive it into a corner or into shallow water.
They also hunt alone. An amazing feature of pelicans is that they swallow fish that are located head first towards them. Therefore, birds throw their prey up, trying to turn it around.
When fish or other food is in a leather bag, the bird tries to squeeze the water out to the sides and swallow the prey. The hook on the top of the beak is necessary in order to fix slippery food and toss it into the air.
mythological character
The unusual appearance of pelicans has long made them the heroes of various works. They are mentioned in bestiaries. In ancient times, this was the name of collections of zoological stories and poems. One of them tells how the mother jealously caressed the chicks with her beak and claws. As a result, they died. A few days later, the father of the family appeared. He tore his chest into blood, washed the chicks with it and thereby revived them. This caused the pelican to be compared to Jesus, who also sacrificed his life to save others.
So, in our article we examined the description of the pelican. This bird lives in coastal areas with a warm climate. In the temperate zone it is migratory. Pelican has a large body, short legs with well-developed membranes between the fingers. These birds are excellent swimmers, divers and fly long distances. The hallmark of pelicans is a wide leathery beak. In it, the bird keeps a large number of fish and other small aquatic inhabitants.
