The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan 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 relatively small pelican but still a large bird. It is 125–152 cm (49–60 in) long and a weight of 4.1–6 kg (9-13.2 lbs). 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.
The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and in Cambodia. A few birds from India
are known to winter in the Gangetic plains but reports of its presence in many other parts of the region such as the Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh has been questioned. The main habitat is in shallow lowland fresh waters. The Spot-billed Pelican 
is not migratory but are known to make local movements and are more widely distributed in the non-breeding season.
They are very silent although at their nests they can make hisses, grunts or snap their bills. Some early
descriptions of nesting colonies have claimed them to be distinctive in their silence but most have noted colonies as noisy.
Like most other pelicans, it catches fish in its huge bill pouch while swimming at the surface. Unlike the
Great White Pelican it does not form large feeding flocks and is usually found to fish singly or in small flocks. Groups may however sometimes line up and drive fish towards the shallows. When flying to their roosts or feeding areas, small groups fly in 
formation with steady flapping. During the hot part of the day, they often soar on thermals.
The birds nest in colonies and the nest is a thick platform of twigs placed on a low tree. The breeding season varies from October to May.
These are usually built alongside other colonial waterbirds, particularly Painted Storks. Three to four chalky white eggs is the usual clutch. The eggs become dirty with age. Eggs hatch in about 30–33 days. The young stay in the nest for nearly five months. In captivity the young are able to breed after two years. Like other pelicans, they cool themselves using gular fluttering and panting.
The Spot-billed Pelican is a relatively small pelican but still a large bird. It is 125–152 cm (49–60 in) long and a weight of 4.1–6 kg (9-13.2 lbs). 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.
The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and in Cambodia. A few birds from India
are known to winter in the Gangetic plains but reports of its presence in many other parts of the region such as the Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh has been questioned. The main habitat is in shallow lowland fresh waters. The Spot-billed Pelican 
is not migratory but are known to make local movements and are more widely distributed in the non-breeding season. They are very silent although at their nests they can make hisses, grunts or snap their bills. Some early
descriptions of nesting colonies have claimed them to be distinctive in their silence but most have noted colonies as noisy.Like most other pelicans, it catches fish in its huge bill pouch while swimming at the surface. Unlike the
Great White Pelican it does not form large feeding flocks and is usually found to fish singly or in small flocks. Groups may however sometimes line up and drive fish towards the shallows. When flying to their roosts or feeding areas, small groups fly in 
formation with steady flapping. During the hot part of the day, they often soar on thermals.The birds nest in colonies and the nest is a thick platform of twigs placed on a low tree. The breeding season varies from October to May.
These are usually built alongside other colonial waterbirds, particularly Painted Storks. Three to four chalky white eggs is the usual clutch. The eggs become dirty with age. Eggs hatch in about 30–33 days. The young stay in the nest for nearly five months. In captivity the young are able to breed after two years. Like other pelicans, they cool themselves using gular fluttering and panting.
No comments:
Post a Comment