Pelicans are among the largest waterfowl, renowned for their disproportionately large beaks, which play a crucial role in their fish-based diet. These birds stand out as unique creatures with no close parallels in the wild.
- Pelicans are gigantic birds with a wingspan exceeding five meters, enabling them to soar up to 3,000 meters in altitude.
- The ancestors of pelicans, some weighing up to forty kilograms, first appeared on Earth 40-50 million years ago.
- These birds inhabit every continent except Antarctica.
- Due to their lightweight bones, pelicans cannot dive underwater; they hunt at the surface, except for brown pelicans who dive from heights.
- Pelicans frequently use their beaks to press down their feathers as they easily get wet.
- There are eight species of pelicans, mostly residing in warm regions, near coasts and river mouths.
- Pelicans are naturally non-confrontational and amiable.
- Mostly silent, their deep roar is audible during nesting.
- After catching prey, pelicans squeeze out water before swallowing their food.
- In Scandinavia, pelicans symbolize philanthropy, associated with a legend of feeding their young with their blood.
- Pelicans breathe through their beaks, lacking nostrils.
- A pelican consumes over a kilogram of fish daily, occasionally eating other birds.
- Pelicans have the largest beak of all birds, capable of holding three buckets of fish.
- The grey and curly pelicans are listed as endangered.
- The lifespan of pelicans varies, typically around 20 years.
- Pelicans are sacred in Islam, linked to a myth of carrying stones for constructing a sanctuary in Mecca.
- The pelican is a symbol of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after Herzen.
- The heavy beak of a pelican is balanced by an S-shaped neck.
- Female pelicans build nests while males provide materials.
- Pelicans can sift up to 5 kg of water from their gular pouch after catching fish.
- Pelicans are among the heaviest flying birds, with their skeleton making up only 10% of their body weight.
