The Zoo is
CLOSED
for the winter season.
Visit us when we
reopen in April 2010.

Great White Pelican

Scientific Name:	Pelecanus onocrotalus
Range:	Eastern Europe to Western Mongolia; Sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat:	Freshwater lakes, deltas, marshes or swamps
Natural Diet:	Fish and some crustaceans
Zoo Diet:	Fish
Physical Characteristics:	Great white pelicans are white with black wing feathers, a large bill tipped with red, a yellow pouch under the bill, and yellow feet. Males are about 70 inches long and weigh 20-33 pounds; females are about 60 inches long and weigh 11-20 pounds.
Behavior:	Great white pelicans live, breed, migrate, feed, and fly in formation as part of a large colony. To feed, the pelican scoops up fish in the skin pouch below the bill; then it tilts up its bill and swallows the fish whole. They are excellent swimmers. To defend its territory, a male will threaten intruders by clapping its bill and bowing. They will also attack with their bill.
Reproduction:	Pelicans usually nest in colonies. The nest, a pile of sticks or little more than bare rock, is on the ground. The eggs have an incubation period of 29-36 days. The young are able to fly in 65-75 days.