The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus): A Spectacular Giant
The Great White Pelican is a gregarious bird, recognizable by its white plumage, immense bill, and bright yellow gular pouch.
One of the World's Largest Flying Birds
The first time you catch a glimpse of a Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in action, it’s hard not to stop and stare. Imagine a bird as big as a 10-year-old kid, with a bill so enormous it could easily scoop up a bucket of fish! But what really draws you in is seeing these birds thrive as a close-knit community. They’ve mastered something that we humans often find tricky: teamwork really does make the dream work.
These feathered tacticians hunt in unison, creating perfect circles on the water to drive fish toward the center—it's like witnessing nature’s very own military operation in action. With wingspans that can reach over 10 feet, they dominate the skies above the wetlands of Southeastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, reminding us that our world is still full of incredible wonders just waiting to take our breath away.
How to Identify the Great White Pelican
Identifying the Great White Pelican is relatively easy due to its size and unique features.
Plumage and Size
It is an immense bird, reaching up to 1.75 meters (5.7 ft) in length with a wingspan ranging from 2.20 m to over 3.50 m (7.2 to 11.5 ft). Its plumage is almost entirely white, contrasting sharply with the black primary and secondary flight feathers, which are only clearly visible when the bird spreads its wings. During the breeding season, adults may display a pinkish hue on their plumage.
Bill and Gular Pouch
The most distinctive feature is its enormous, long, flat bill, equipped with a bright yellow gular pouch. This pouch, an extension of the lower mandible, is not used for storing food but as a scoop net to catch fish—a different technique from the plunge-diving of the Brown Pelican. Once the fish is caught, the pelican expels the water before swallowing it.
In flight, the Great White Pelican is impressive, with its neck folded back in an "S" shape and its broad wings beating slowly.
Scientific Dimensions and Records
Characteristic
Male
Female
Record / Average
Length
140 – 180 cm (55-71 in)
140 – 180 cm (55-71 in)
140 – 180 cm (55-71 in)
Weight
9 – 15 kg (avg. 11-12 kg)
9 – 15 kg (avg. 9-10 kg)
Up to 15 kg (33 lbs)
Wingspan
226 – 360 cm (7.4-11.8 ft)
226 – 360 cm (7.4-11.8 ft)
2.26 – 3.6 m (7.4-11.8 ft)
Flight Speed
30 – 50 km/h (19-31 mph)
30 – 50 km/h (19-31 mph)
Approx. 40 km/h (25 mph) (cruising)
Lifespan
Up to 30 years
Up to 30 years
Over 50 years (in captivity)
Our Ornithologist's Tip
By the Les-Oiseaux.com team, published on July 29, 2025
My advice: To witness the truly unique behavior of the American White Pelican, forget looking for dramatic solo dives. The magic happens on the water's surface, and it's a team sport. Find a calm inland lake, marsh, or reservoir where they are known to gather.
Look for a group of these enormous white birds swimming together. Instead of diving, they will form a coordinated line or a semicircle, beating their wings and dipping their bills in unison to corral fish into the shallows. This cooperative, strategic hunt is a behavior rarely seen in the bird world and is THE signature spectacle of the American White Pelican. It's a display of intelligence and teamwork you won't forget.
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Calls and Vocalizations: A Rather Quiet Bird
Outside of its breeding colonies, the Great White Pelican is a generally silent seabird. It is within the large gatherings that it makes itself heard. Its vocalizations are far from melodious: they consist of deep, low-pitched grunts, hisses, and croaks, used for communication between individuals.
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A Cooperative Fishing Technique
Unlike the Brown Pelican, which plunge-dives to catch its prey, the Great White Pelican hunts on the surface and, most notably, in groups. It is a true demonstration of collective strategy:
Several pelicans (sometimes dozens) gather to form a semicircle or a "U" shape. By swimming in unison and flapping their wings, they herd fish towards shallow waters, trapping them in a confined area. They then simply dip their bills and gular pouches into the water to "scoop up" their prey. This cooperation allows them to catch far more fish than they could alone.
A Majestic Flight
Despite its considerable weight (up to 15 kg or 33 lbs), the Great White Pelican is an excellent flier. It uses rising thermal currents to gain altitude effortlessly, allowing it to cover long distances. In cruising flight, pelicans often travel in V-formations or lines, beating their wings in a synchronized manner, creating a truly beautiful aerial spectacle.
Habitat and Distribution
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), also known as the Eastern White Pelican, is a large aquatic bird widely distributed across southeastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. It inhabits a variety of freshwater and brackish environments, including shallow lakes, deltas, lagoons, marshes, and even coastal and estuarine areas. The species generally prefers warm, shallow waters that facilitate its fishing technique.
In Eurasia, Great White Pelicans are often found in areas with dense reed beds, which they use for nesting. Their breeding range extends from the eastern Mediterranean to Vietnam. Over 50% of the Eurasian population breeds in the Danube Delta, between Bulgaria and Romania. Migratory populations in Eastern Europe and Kazakhstan move to wintering grounds in northeastern Africa, Iraq, northern India, and southern Vietnam.
Sedentary populations reside year-round in Africa, predominantly south of the Sahara Desert, around freshwater and alkaline lakes, as well as in coastal regions. Nesting sites can vary, with some populations building stick nests in trees, but the majority, especially in Africa, nesting in scrapes on the ground lined with natural materials.
Distribution Map
Conservation Status
The Great White Pelican is listed as "Least Concern" (LC) by the IUCN. Its global populations are large and generally stable. However, locally, it can be threatened by the degradation and loss of its habitat (drainage of wetlands), disturbance of its nesting colonies, and water pollution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much water can a pelican's pouch hold?
The gular pouch of the Great White Pelican is incredibly elastic and can hold up to 13 liters (about 3.4 gallons) of water! That's roughly three times what its stomach can hold. It uses it as a scoop, not a shopping bag.
Does a pelican store fish in its pouch?
This is a very common misconception. The pelican does not use its pouch to store food. It uses it to catch fish and water, then contracts the pouch to expel the water before swallowing its prey immediately.
Why do pelicans fly in formation?
Like many large birds, pelicans fly in formation (V-shape or line) to save energy. The lead bird breaks the air, creating uplifting vortices behind its wings. The following birds position themselves to take advantage of this lift, which reduces their own flight effort.
