Pelican
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus). The Australian Pelican ( Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large water Bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae Rafinesque, 1815 Genus: Pelecanus Linnaeus, 1758
Species
Pelecanus occidentalis Pelecanus thagus Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus onocrotalus Pelecanus crispus Pelecanus rufescens Pelecanus philippensis Pelecanus conspicillatus

A pelican is any of several very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, as he is known in Europe ( October 22 1783 - September 18 1840) was a nineteenth-century Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for The brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis) is the smallest of the eight species of Pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard The Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus, is a member of the Pelican family The American White Pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a very large (50"&ndash70" white Bird with black wing tips and a long wide orange bill The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican is a Bird in the Pelican The Dalmatian Pelican ( Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the Pelican family The Pink-backed Pelican ( Pelecanus rufescens) is a member of the Pelican family of Birds It is a resident breeder in Africa, southern The Spot-billed Pelican ( Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the Pelican family The Australian Pelican ( Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large water Bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. In Biological classification, family ( Latin

Along with the darters, cormorants, gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds, pelicans make up the order Pelecaniformes. The darters or snake-birds are birds in the family Anhingidae. The Bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 Species of cormorants and shags. Gannets are Seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies. The frigatebirds are a family Fregatidae, of Seabirds There are five Species in the single Genus Fregata. Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic Seabirds There are three species in one Genus Phaethon This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Modern pelicans are found on all continents except Antarctica. They occur mostly in warm regions, though breeding ranges reach 45° south (Australian Pelican, P. The Australian Pelican ( Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large water Bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea conspicillatus) and 60° North (American White Pelicans, P. The American White Pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a very large (50"&ndash70" white Bird with black wing tips and a long wide orange bill erythrorhynchos, in western Canada). Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[1] Birds of inland and coastal waters, they are absent from polar regions, the deep ocean, oceanic islands, and inland South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a

Contents 1 Description 2 Sub-groups 3 Feeding 4 Reproduction 5 Populations 6 Species 7 Symbolism and culture 8 Exceptional behaviour 9 References 10 Gallery 11 External links

Description

Pelicans are large birds with enormous, pouched bills. Lakes Entrance is a tourist resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. The smallest is the Brown Pelican (P. The brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis) is the smallest of the eight species of Pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard occidentalis), small individuals of which can be as little as 2. 75 kg (6 lb), 106 cm (42 in) long and can have a wingspan of as little as 1. 83 m (6 ft). The largest is believed to be the Dalmatian Pelican (P. The Dalmatian Pelican ( Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the Pelican family crispus), at up to 15 kg (33 lb), 183 cm (72 in) long, with a maximum wingspan of nearly 3. 5 m (11. 5 ft). The Australian Pelican has the longest bill of any bird^[1].

Pelicans swim well with their short, strong legs and their feet with all four toes webbed (as in all birds placed in the order Pelecaniformes). The tail is short and square, with 20 to 24 feathers. The wings are long and have the unusually large number of 30 to 35 secondary flight feathers. Flight feathers are the long stiff asymmetrically shaped but symmetrically paired Feathers on the Wings or Tail of a Bird; those on the A layer of special fibers deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Thus they can exploit thermals to commute over 150 km (100 miles) to feeding areas. A thermal column (or thermal) is a column of rising Air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. ^[1]

Pelicans rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up its oily secretion, which they transfer to their plumage to waterproof it. The uropygial gland, or more informally the preen gland is a Gland found in the large majority of birds that secretes an oil ( preen oil) that birds use ^[1]

Sub-groups

The pelicans can be divided into two groups: those with mostly white adult plumage, which nest on the ground (Australian, Dalmatian, Great White, and American White Pelicans), and those with gray or brown plumage, which nest in trees (Pink-backed, Spot-billed, and Brown, plus the Peruvian Pelican, which nests on sea rocks). The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican is a Bird in the Pelican The Pink-backed Pelican ( Pelecanus rufescens) is a member of the Pelican family of Birds It is a resident breeder in Africa, southern The Spot-billed Pelican ( Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the Pelican family The Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus, is a member of the Pelican family The Peruvian Pelican is sometimes considered conspecific with the Brown Pelican. ^[1]

Feeding

The regular diet of a Pelican usually consists of fish, but they also eat amphibians, crustaceans and on some occasions, smaller birds. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two ^[2][3] They often catch fish by expanding the throat pouch. Then they must drain the pouch above the surface before they can swallow. This operation takes up to a minute, during which time other seabirds are particularly likely to steal the fish. Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally Parasitism by Theft) is a form of Feeding where one animal takes Prey from another Pelicans in their turn sometimes pirate prey from other seabirds. ^[1]

The white pelicans often fish in groups. They will form a line to chase schools of small fish into shallow water, and then simply scoop them up. Large fish are caught with the bill-tip, then tossed up in the air to be caught and slid into the gullet head first.

The Brown Pelican of North America usually plunge-dives for its prey. Rarely, other species such as the Peruvian Pelican and the Australian Pelican practice this method.

Reproduction

Pelicans are gregarious and nest colonially. The ground-nesting (white) species have a complex communal courtship involving a group of males chasing a single female in the air, on land, or in the water while pointing, gaping, and thrusting their bills at each other. They can finish the process in a day. The tree-nesting species have a simpler process in which perched males advertise for females. ^[1]

In all species copulation begins shortly after pairing and continues for 3 to 10 days before egg-laying. The male brings the nesting material, ground-nesters (which may not build a nest) sometimes in the pouch and tree-nesters crosswise in the bill. The female heaping the material up to form a simple structure. ^[1]

Both sexes incubate with the eggs on top of or below the feet. They may display when changing shifts. All species lay at least two eggs, and hatching success for undisturbed pairs can be as high as 95 percent, but because of competition between siblings or outright siblicide, usually all but one nestling dies within the first few weeks (or later in the Pink-backed and Spot-billed species). The young are fed copiously. Before or especially after being fed, they may seem to have a seizure that ends in falling unconscious; the reason is not clearly known. An epileptic seizure is caused by excessive and/or hypersynchronous electrical Neuronal activity and is usually self-limiting ^[1]

Parents of ground-nesting species have another strange behavior: they sometimes drag older young around roughly by the head before feeding them. The young of these species gather in "pods" or "crèches" of up to 100 birds in which parents recognize and feed only their own offspring. By 6 to 8 weeks they wander around, occasionally swimming, and may practice communal feeding. ^[1]

Young of all species fledge 10 to 12 weeks after hatching. They may remain with their parents afterwards, but are now seldom or never fed. Overall breeding success is highly inconsistent. ^[1]

Pairs are monogamous for a single season, but the pair bond extends only to the nesting area; mates are independent away from the nest.

Populations

The Dalmatian Pelican and the Spot-billed Pelican are the rarest species, with the population of the former estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000^[4] and that of the latter at 13,000 to 18,000. ^[5] The most common is believed to be the Australian Pelican (though some estimates have placed the White Pelican at a higher population).

Species

Pelicans often travel in groups	Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis	Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus	American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens	Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

From the fossil record,^[6] it is known that pelicans have been around for over 40 million years, the earliest fossil Pelecanus being found in early Miocene deposits in France. The brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis) is the smallest of the eight species of Pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard The Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus, is a member of the Pelican family The American White Pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a very large (50"&ndash70" white Bird with black wing tips and a long wide orange bill The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican is a Bird in the Pelican The Dalmatian Pelican ( Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the Pelican family The Pink-backed Pelican ( Pelecanus rufescens) is a member of the Pelican family of Birds It is a resident breeder in Africa, southern The Spot-billed Pelican ( Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the Pelican family The Australian Pelican ( Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large water Bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 Prehistoric genera have been named Protopelicanus and Miopelecanus. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The supposed Miocene pelican Liptornis from Argentina is a nomen dubium, being based on hitherto indeterminable fragments. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium ( Latin for "doubtful name" plural nomina dubia) is a scientific name that is

A number of fossil species are also known from the extant genus Pelecanus:

• Pelecanus alieus (Late Pliocene of Idaho, USA)
• Pelecanus cadimurka
• Pelecanus cauleyi
• Pelecanus gracilis
• Pelecanus halieus
• Pelecanus intermedius
• Pelecanus odessanus
• Pelecanus schreiberi
• Pelecanus sivalensis
• Pelecanus tirarensis

Symbolism and culture

In medieval Europe, the pelican was thought to be particularly attentive to her young, to the point of providing her own blood when no other food was available. As a result, the pelican became a symbol of the Passion of Jesus and of the Eucharist. This article describes the Christian Passion For other meanings see Passion. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those It also became a symbol in bestiaries for self-sacrifice, and was used in heraldry ("a pelican in her piety" or "a pelican vulning (wounding) herself"). A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. Another version of this is that the pelican used to kill its young and then resurrect them with its blood, this being analogous to the sacrifice of Jesus. Thus the symbol of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is a pelican, and for most of its existence the headquarters of the service was located at Pelican House in Dublin, Ireland. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service ( IBTS) or Seirbhís Fuilaistriúcháin na hÉireann in Irish, was established in the Republic of Ireland

For example, the emblems of both Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Corpus Christi College, Oxford are pelicans, showing its use as a medieval Christian symbol ('Corpus Christi' means 'body of Christ'). Corpus Christi College (full name The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary, often shortened to simply Corpus) is a College of the University Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Likewise a folktale from India says that a pelican killed her young by rough treatment but was then so contrite that she resurrected them with her own blood. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[1]

These legends may have arisen because the pelican used to suffer from a disease that left a red mark on its chest. Alternatively it may be that pelicans look as if they are stabbing themselves as they often press their bill into their chest to fully empty their pouch. Yet other possibilities are that they often rest their bills on their breasts, and that the Dalmatian Pelican has a blood-red pouch in the early breeding season. ^[1]

The symbol is used today on the Louisiana state flag and Louisiana state seal, as the Brown pelican is the Louisiana state bird. The Flag of Louisiana consists of a heraldic charge called a " pelican in her piety," representing a mother Pelican wounding The Louisiana State Seal was adopted as the official state seal of Louisiana in 1902 The brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis) is the smallest of the eight species of Pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard Likewise, the pelican is featured prominently on the seal of Louisiana State University. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, Coeducational A pelican logo is also used by the Portuguese bank Montepio Geral. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Montepio Geral ( pron. mõtɨ'piu ʒɨ'ɾaɫ is a Portuguese Banking company [1]

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature. The Moche civilization (alternately the Mochica culture Early Chimu Pre-Chimu Proto-Chimu etc Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. ^[7] They placed emphasis on animals and often depicted pelicans in their art. ^[8]

Exceptional behaviour

A pelican swallowed a living pigeon in St. James Park, London in October 2006. For the park in London see St James's Park; for the football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne see St James' Park. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. According to tourists watching, the pelican strolled to the pigeon and grabbed it into its beak, a 20 minute struggle ensued, which ended with pigeon being swallowed "head first down while flapping all the way down". ^[9]

In May 2008, a woman bore 20 stitches after a pelican rammed into her face and died. The pelican was believed to be diving for fish in the sea off Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ^[10]

References

Gallery

Relief of a "pelican in her piety"	An Australian Pelican coming out of water	A Brown Pelican in flight	Brown Pelican flock over Havana Bay
Brown Pelicans, Melbourne, Florida, USA. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading	Eastern White Pelican, Blackpool Zoo. Just two miles from the famous Blackpool sea-front in Lancashire, England, Blackpool Zoo provides a home to over 1500 Animals from all over the	Pink-backed Pelican, San Diego Wild Animal Park

External links

• The Symbolism of the Pelican article in the Arlington Catholic Herald.
• Pelican videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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