DALMATIAN PELICAN, PELECANUS CRISPUS

GREAT WHITE PELICAN, PELECANUS ONOCROTALUS

DALMATIAN PELICAN, PELECANUS CRISPUS, PELIKAN KĘDZIERZAWY

and

GREAT WHITE PELICAN, PELECANUS ONOCROTALUS, PELIKAN RÓŻOWY

Welcome to pelican’s world.

The photo set presents DALMATIAN and WHITE PELICANS. The pictures were taken in January 2018 in the north of Greece.
It is the biggest dalmatian pelicans colony in Europe and third in the world.
It took four days to capture the beauty of these animals in its fullness.
Each morning started with a trip by boat, which was followed by a series of pictures taken at the lake shore.
The sunrise and the sunset elicit the richness of the stunning nature which is showed in the photos.

Szczudłak zwyczajny, Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus,

is a massive member of the pelican family and the world’s largest freshwater bird. 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.

As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings appear solid grey in flight. The adults acquire a drabber plumage in winter, however, when they may be mistaken for great white pelicans. Their harsh vocalizations become more pronounced during the mating season. They breed from southeastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. They usually return to traditional breeding sites, where they are less social than other pelican species. Their nests are crude heaps of vegetation, which are placed on islands or on dense mats of vegetation.

The species’ numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution, and the construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.

The Great white pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus,

known also as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or white pelican. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes.

The breeding range of the great white pelican extends to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Chad, Cameroons, and Nigeria in Africa, and also in Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. Only two breeding colonies are located in the Mediterranean coutries. One having 250 to 400 pairs in Turkey and the other having 50 to 100 pairs in northern Greece. Migratory populations are found from Eastern Europe to Kazakhstan during the breeding season. More than 50% of Eurasian great white pelicans breed in the Danube Delta in Romania. They also prefer staying in the Lakes near Burgas and in Srebarna Lake in Bulgaria. Overall, the great white pelican is one of the most widely distributed species.

The great white pelican is highly sociable and often forms large flocks.

The great white pelican mainly eats fish. It leaves its roost to feed early in the morning and may fly over 100 km (62 mi) in search of food. The bird needs from 0.9 to 1.4 kg (2.0 to 3.1 lb) of fish every day.

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