Pelecanidae - Pelicans

Pelicans must be amongst the most distinctive of birds, with their enormous pouched beaks with which they shovel up fish. Two species occur in Europe, the endangered Dalmatian Pelican and the White Pelican, both weighing around 15kg, making them amongst the heaviest of flying seabirds. Neither occurs naturally in Britain, though occasional birds do escape from bird collections.



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