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Common name |
Australian Pelican |
Scientific name |
Pelecanus conspicillatus |
Size – beak to tail |
1.5 m – 1.8 m |
Wing span |
2.3 – 2.6 m |
Birds of the Bluff |
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Where to find |
Large shallow waters, coastal or inland. Occasionally open sea. |
Description |
A well known favourite of coastal and inland waters. A huge black and white bird with a very large bill and pink bill-pouch.
Single birds or small to large flocks may form; swimming in groups to encircle fish, then plunging their heads to catch their prey. May breed in colonies in Port Phillip Bay. May also be absent from our region for extended periods when they move to ephemeral inland waters to breed in huge numbers. They feed mainly on fish. |