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SPECIES PROFILE

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

Pelecanus

IUCN STATUS

Least Concern

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) — Throughout Australia, coastal/inland, occasionally Tasmania

CONSERVATION STATUS

Least Concern

CLASS

Aves

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

Throughout Australia, coastal/inland, occasionally Tasmania

DIET

Carnivorous

HABITAT

Coastal waters, estuaries, inland lakes, rivers

🔬 Classification

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Aves

ORDER

Pelecaniformes

FAMILY

Pelecanidae

GENUS

Pelecanus

📋 Description

SIZE

1.8 meters long, wingspan 2.3-2.5 meters; 4-13 kg

COLORATION

White with black wingtips; pinkish bill, large expandable pouch

ADAPTATIONS

Massive bill and pouch for scooping fish, strong wings for soaring

🌿 Ecology

HABITAT

Coastal waters, estuaries, inland lakes, rivers

DIET

Carnivorous

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Throughout Australia, coastal/inland, occasionally Tasmania

REPRODUCTION

Lays 1-3 eggs on ground/low vegetation, incubated 32-35 days; chicks fledge 2-3 months

DIET DETAILS

Primarily fish, crustaceans, occasionally small birds

⚠️ Threats & Conservation

PRIMARY THREATS

Water pollution, overfishing, breeding colony disturbance

💡 Interesting Facts

1

Fish Herders: Australian pelicans scoop 13 liters of fish with 2-meter bill pouches, herding in groups of 50 in Coorong Lagoon, consuming 10 kg daily. Their cooperative feeding supports 100,000 birds, though pollution threatens breeding colonies.

2

Thermal Gliders: Soaring 3,000 meters on thermals, they travel 500 km to Lake Eyre’s floods, their 2.5-meter wings gliding effortlessly. This mobility, seen in Peel Inlet, ensures they exploit ephemeral lakes, maintaining populations despite overfishing impacts.

🔭 Sighting Guide

📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT

Coorong National Park in South Australia has Coorong Lagoon and Salt Creek for pelican sightings in summer

Lake Eyre in South Australia attracts pelican flocks during inland lake floods

Peel Inlet in Western Australia near Mandurah offers estuary and foreshore for pelican sightings

🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT

April-October. Dry season concentrates pelicans in wetlands and lakes for feeding.

🎯 SIGHTING TIPS

Take boat tours in Coorong Lagoon, Lake Eyre or Mandurah's Peel Inlet at midday to see pelicans fishing in shallow waters.