Don't You Love Pelicans? - Amazing Birds

[james7]

I never get sick of watching pelicans. They are amazing birds.

These photos were taken either on the way to fishing, while I was fishing, or just collecting bait (pumping nippers at Nullica near Eden).

Cheers

Peter

[TheDiko]

I like Pelicans for their character and enthusiasm when you pull out some fish guts

Though they can be a bit of a pest they are fun to have around when playing with my little brother and sister.

IFS

[marlin1962]

looking at the pics brought back an old memory of when my wife was washing down the boat at

umina,when all of a sudden a pelican on the light pole above her let her have it (you know with what).

it was so funny at the time (the wife was not impressed) and she surely let me and the pelican

know her feelings. iv'e wondered why she never washes the boat down for me anymore.

[james7]

I like it when I’m cleaning a few flathead at Mainbar in the Hacking and a few pelicans fly in for a free feed. It’s great watching them juggle the fish skeleton so they can slide it down the right way. Some are pretty good at catching the skeletons when you throw them in the air too.

They’re also smart enough to leave toads and leatherjackets alone.

It's amazing how much they can eat!

Peter

[mrmoshe]

And it's not just fish they like.

Take a look at this clip of a pelican snaffling and swallowing a pigeon in a London Park.

Cheers,

Pete.

[domza]

And it's not just fish they like.

Take a look at this clip of a pelican snaffling and swallowing a pigeon in a London Park.

Cheers,

Pete.

[Davemmm]

A few years ago I was fishing a nice quiet spot on the Shoalhaven river early in the morning. I was fishing out the back of the tinney and concentrating hard on the whitting nibbles when an almighty bang broke the silence and I nearly flew off the back of the boat.

When I turned around I discovered a pelican flying overhead had dropped a "deposit" that hit the front of the tinney. I threw water over it to give it a clean but it still took bloody paint off.

Dave

[xib]

And it's not just fish they like.

Take a look at this clip of a pelican snaffling and swallowing a pigeon in a London Park.

Cheers,

Pete.

yeh i saw 2 pelicans swallow about 10 ducklings between them at windamere dam one day. then the parents started swooping the pelicans and almost got eaten themselfs

xib

[bolan]

And it's not just fish they like.

Take a look at this clip of a pelican snaffling and swallowing a pigeon in a London Park.

Cheers,

Pete.

Flamin Hell Pete..... Thats amazing

[james7]

Anyone ever seen a baby pelican?

[kinghazza]

yeah ....pelicans are great fun, especially when your cleaning your fish and one sneeks up behind you and snatches that thumper bream you caught that day, and all your left with is the memory of that pelicans neck thats taken on the shape of a 40 cm bream.... yeah woohoo lets hear it for the pelicans lol

[james7]

yeah ....pelicans are great fun, especially when your cleaning your fish and one sneeks up behind you and snatches that thumper bream you caught that day, and all your left with is the memory of that pelicans neck thats taken on the shape of a 40 cm bream.... yeah woohoo lets hear it for the pelicans lol

I've never had that problem with pelicans, but those mutton birds can be a real pain when they hang around your boat and grab your bait as you drop it.

Seagulls have also cleaned up all my bait when I accidentally left it uncovered on the beach. seagulls!

[kinghazza]

and whilst we're on the subject of annoying birds....i dont know what the hell its called but when you've got a livey out off the rocks ( mind you this is the livey you've spent half an hour trying to catch ) and this damn bird comes along, dives underwater for a couple of minutes and surfaces with your yakka i should take a rifle next time i go rock fishing lol, that be a good look three 12 footers a back pack, a bucket.... and a rifle.

[arpie]

Hi PeterS

There is an island in Wallis Lake (in behind The Keys, aptly named 'Pelican Island') where they roost & the baby pelicans can be seen clearly from a yak or boat. (Will post some pics when I get home!) They are bright pink when born (no feathers at that point) but grow large & 'feather up' fairly quickly. Within weeks, they are almost as big as their parents!

Unfortunately, the island is virtually at sea level (so to speak) as in almost dead flat - even at normal high tide, the water is lapping the edges of the 'nests' ..... they don't have nests, really - more a depression in the sand!! It is also tiny - only 3-5m wide & maybe 20m-3om long. When we have the king tides or a stack of runoff after rain, if there are still any babies that haven't fledged, unfortunately, they drown.

I reckon the adults look like B52 Bombers & look like they should never be able to get off the water! They look so ungainly when they start their runup to take off, or when splashing down. But up there in the themals, they are sooo graceful. I love seeing them sitting on the single poles out in the water. WHy don't they fall off??

Edited September 14, 2007 by Roberta

[james7]

Hi PeterS

There is an island in Wallis Lake (in behind The Keys, aptly named 'Pelican Island') where they roost & the baby pelicans can be seen clearly from a yak or boat. (Will post some pics when I get home!) They are bright pink when born (no feathers at that point) but grow large & 'feather up' fairly quickly. Within weeks, they are almost as big as their parents!

Unfortunately, the island is virtually at sea level (so to speak) as in almost dead flat - even at normal high tide, the water is lapping the edges of the 'nests' ..... they don't have nests, really - more a depression in the sand!! It is also tiny - only 3-5m wide & maybe 20m-3om long. When we have the king tides or a stack of runoff after rain, if there are still any babies that haven't fledged, unfortunately, they drown.

I reckon the adults look like B52 Bombers & look like they should never be able to get off the water! They look so ungainly when they start their runup to take off, or when splashing down. But up there in the themals, they are sooo graceful. I love seeing them sitting on the single poles out in the water. WHy don't they fall off??

Thanks for that info Roberta. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

I love watching pelicans land and take off. They're amazingly graceful in the air too.

Although, you can't beat seeing sea eagles soaring around the cliffs of the Royal National Park. I'm sure Ross Hunter must have seen a few on his trips down the coast. Sensational!

Cheers

Peter

[mrmoshe]

Some pelican facts for your reading pleasure.

Truly amazing birds.

Cheers,

Pete.

__________________________________________________________

Australian Pelican

The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is found all around Australia and is the biggest of the 8 species of Pelicans found worldwide.

DESCRIPTION

Pelicans as a whole are big birds with a very large wingspan, large beaks and are very well known One of the reason such a big bird can fly is that its skeleton is very light (10% of their weight).

Australian Pelicans are white in colour with black wingtips and black markings on their tail. Behind their head and part way down their neck there is a "streak" of grey Their bill and very large bill pouch are pink and is the longest beak/bill of any, of all the types of Pelicans in the world , whilst their legs and feet are blue-grey in colour.

They are so buoyant they cannot sink under water, though unlike most water birds they do not have a lot of water proof oil on their feathers etc so they can get wet and cold

Vital Statistics

Wingspan 2.5 meters to 3.4 meters.

Length 1.6 to 1.9meters.

Weight 4 to 6.8 kg up to 8.2 kg.

Australian Pelicans eyes are brown and white.

The female is slightly smaller than the male.

Pouched bill 40 to 47cm and can hold 9 to 13 litres of water.

They have 4 webbed toes.

There vocalisation is a chesty rumbling or deep growling.

In the wild they can live between 10 and 25 years.

LOCATION & HABITAT

On a world scale The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia, except in the very dry middle (desert region), Papua New Guinea and parts of Indonesia (eg Sulawesi) and sometimes in New Zealand and some Pacific Islands close to Australia

n Australia itself, wherever there is water you can possibly find Pelicans, ranging from wetlands to swamps, rivers, estuaries, lakes (fresh and salt), coastlines, mudflats, lagoons etc. They live in large flocks or colonies and will travel large distances to find suitable water, breeding grounds etc

FEEDING

Pelicans favourite food is fish.

They normally fish together "herding" the fish into a central position, and then plunge their bills into the water and capture a fish with a mouthful of water then "squeeze" the water out by pushing their bill against their chest region so they are left with just the fish in their bill pouch.

They will then turn the fish around in their bill pouch so it goes "longways" down their throat and then they swallow the fish whole with a "jerk" of their head.

There bills have a slight hook on the end and are serrated to help hold onto slippery fish.

They will feed from Humans, either stealing from fisherman or accepting handouts, and have been know to also eat small turtles, tadpoles, shrimp and other crustaceans

FLYING

It is fantastic to see a Pelican take off, running across the water to build up speed and flapping its huge wings. Once in the air this big bird relies on thermals and soars to great heights and for long distances. When it lands it is like an amphibious aeroplane landing on a watery runway, finally gilding to a stop with the help of its wings spread out acting like brakes It has been reported that Australian pelicans have soared to a height of 3,000 meters (3 Kms) and when flying in a flock often form a rough V formation

MATING, BREEDING & NESTS

Pelicans breed together in large colonies, at any time of the year depending on conditions like rainfall A complex courting dance by males competing for females occur, with the winning male and his female going off to their nest site. The nest usually a grass, twig and feather lined scrape in the ground is prepared by the female 1 to 3 eggs are then laid in the next week. Both parents help out sitting on the nest, with the eggs hatching after 32 to 37 days. The young are born naked and blind At first they are feed regurgitated food obtained by thrusting their bills down the parent's gullet. After a month or so the young chick can leave the nest and join a "creche" of other young pelicans where they are cared for the next couple of months, until they learn to fly and become independent

DANGERS

The biggest problems for Pelicans is man and his fishing hooks, and lines, as their pouches can be easily torn by sharp fishing hooks.

And More...............................

The Australian pelican - Pelecanus conspicillatus

The biggest of the pelicans

Size: 1.6 to 1.8 metres

Weight: up to 7 kg

Wingspan: up to 3.4 metres

Lifespan: 25 years

Habitat: Lakes, swamps, rivers, estuaries, seashore.

Found: Everywhere around Australia as well as Papua New Guinea,

western Indonesia and sometimes even as far as New Zealand and the Pacific Island.

Flight: Pelicans fly very high and very low. They can skim the surface

of the water with a long, controlled gliding motion and they can rise

to altitudes of 3000 metres. The can ride the thermals and reach a

speed of 56km/h. The can stay aloft for 24 hours.

Relatives: Black-faced cormorant, frigate birds

Food: Fish, crustaceans, shrimps, turtles, tadpoles and frogs. They

are known to poach food from other birds - chasing them until they drop their prey. In hard seasons they have been known to drown and eat seagulls. Pelicans do not have a crop. Their food goes down the gullet and into the stomach. Young pelicans must reach down the throat of their parents to feed.

Identification: white feathers, and black feathers, big beak, big

body. Males are bigger than females.

Pouched bill: 40 to 47cm and can hold 9 to 13 litres of water.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, they are the biggest beaks in the bird kingdom.

Sounds: Their vocalisation is a chesty rumbling or deep growling.

Skeletal structure: They have very light skeletons - only about 10 per cent of their body weight

Pelican miscellanea:

The birds have 4 webbed toes.

Pelicans are found on all continents except Antarctic.

Groups of pelicans are known as pods, scoops or squadrons.

Pelicans are ancient.

Pelican fossils have been dated at 40 million years.

Pelican chicks communicate with their mothers while still in the egg.

They can communicate as to whether they are too hot or cold.

They also listen to their parents from the egg - so when they emerge, they have no trouble identifying their parents.

Edited September 14, 2007 by MallacootaPete

[arpie]

Anyone can paddle the lake & check out the Pelicans roosting on Pelican Island. They are big birds, but incredibly tolerant of people getting in really close to them. These were taken with a regular digital camera - not a digital SLR.

As promised, some pelican pics

baby under the wing

bigger babies

Pelican families

Pelican Island - at the mercy of high tide

Cheers

Roberta

Here's another bub - aren't they gorgeous???

Keith & Pelican Island

Bob & pelicans on island

Edited September 15, 2007 by Roberta

[Flightmanager]

I married an annoying bird once , does that count? ( No , not the current one !)

Ross

Edited September 15, 2007 by Flightmanager

[arpie]

ooooh! Glad you clarified that, Ross!!!

[Flightmanager]

Me too Roberta , or no expensive fishing type birthday present for me !!

Ross

[james7]

Some pelican facts for your reading pleasure.

Truly amazing birds.

Cheers,

Pete.

Hey Mallacoota Pete, you must be a pelican encyclopaedia!

Do you recognise where these pelicans are?

Roberta, your pictures are great. Thanks for that.

Cheers

Peter

[mrmoshe]

Hey Mallacoota Pete, you must be a pelican encyclopaedia!

Do you recognise where these pelicans are?

Roberta, your pictures are great. Thanks for that.

Cheers

Peter

My 'Coota!! Such a nice waterway.

The pelicans there breed at a place called Goodwin Sands.

It's a sandy bank up the back of the lake that sits out of the water by about 2 inches.

They have bred there for eons and also is a great place to pick up some big flatties

along the flats.

Thanks for that Peter.

Cheers,

Pete.

Edited September 15, 2007 by MallacootaPete

[tonyt]

i took this photo at the entrance last year this pelican was fearless my son went up to him and it didnt move an inch

[tomahawk1999]

And it's not just fish they like.

Take a look at this clip of a pelican snaffling and swallowing a pigeon in a London Park.

Cheers,

Pete.

There was a story (unsubstantiated) a few years ago about a well known game fisho who had a large shark cat he was out with his wife and her chihuahua earning brownie points prior to a port stephens convention.

As they where leaving the mooring the "brave little dog was up on the bow when an EVIL pelican came down an enhaled the fearless canine collar and all and flew off never to be seen again!!!!

Don't you just love fishing stories!!!!

[james7]

There was a story (unsubstantiated) a few years ago about a well known game fisho who had a large shark cat he was out with his wife and her chihuahua earning brownie points prior to a port stephens convention.

As they where leaving the mooring the "brave little dog was up on the bow when an EVIL pelican came down an enhaled the fearless canine collar and all and flew off never to be seen again!!!!

Don't you just love fishing stories!!!!

Great story tomahawk1999!

I'm not sure about about pelicans being "evil". However, my vote for "evil" birds goes to seagulls. I think they're devilish, obnoxious and annoying. The number of times they've stolen my bait ... ... or flown into my lines when I was beach fishing!

Cheers