Spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) or gray pelican on grass.
The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close range the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations. The spot-billed pelican is a rather large water bird, often the largest or one of the largest native birds in the southern stretches of its range, albeit it is fairly small for a pelican. It is 125–152 cm long and a weight of –6 kg . The wingspan can vary from 213 to 250 cm while the typically large beak measured from 285 to 355 mm . It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and a brownish tail. The feathers on the hind neck are curly and form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish and has large pale spots, and is also spotted on the sides of the upper mandible. The tip of the bill (or nail) is yellow to orange. In breeding plumage, the skin at the base of the beak is dark and the orbital patch is pink. In flight they look not unlike the Dalmatian pelican but the tertials and inner secondaries are darker and a pale band runs along the greater coverts. The tail is rounder. The newly hatched young are covered in white down. They then moult into a greyish speckled plumage. The spots on the bill appear only after a year. The full adult breeding plumage appears in their third year.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: Bourton on the water, England, UK
Photo credit: © DV Wildlife / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: beak, bird, grass, gray, greyish, mandible, pelecanus, pelican, perching, philippensis, pink, plumage, pouch, sanctuary, speckled, spot-billed, wildlife
