Common Name: Australian Pelican

Distribution: Mainland Australia, except western deserts, and Tasmania. It is a highly nomadic species.

Ecological Notes: Occurs primarily on large expanses of open water without dense aquatic vegetation.The predominant prey is fish, however, it regularly feeds on insects and many aquatic crustaceans. The Australian Pelican also predates other birds with some frequency, including the Silver Gull, Australian White Ibis and Grey Teal.

Additional Notes: The bill and pouch are sensitive and this helps locate fish in murky water. Pelicans possesses a hook at the end of the upper mandible, probably for gripping slippery food items.

References: eBird Australia at https://ebird.org/australia/species/auspel1 Accessed 14 August 2023.
Birdlife Australia at https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/australian-pelican Accessed 27 July 2020.