Great white pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus
Local namespelikanbeyaz pelikan
- Do not touch
Do not handle an injured or exhausted pelican: the hook at the bill tip cuts deeply and a wing blow can break bones. Pelican colonies have also suffered mass die-offs in avian influenza outbreaks, so never touch a dead bird and report it to wildlife authorities.
Key identifying features
A yellowish elastic skin pouch under the long bill that balloons out when fishing
From below the flight feathers are jet black against snow-white coverts; the Dalmatian pelican lacks this contrast and shows a uniformly pale grey underwing
Bare pink skin around the eye and bill base, with a yellow breast patch in the breeding season
Fishes socially, forming a horseshoe line to herd fish into the shallows and dipping heads in unison
Forehead feathering ends in a sharp point above the bill, without the shaggy curled nape crest of the Dalmatian pelican
Bird
- Lakes
- Wetland
- Deltas and lagoons
- In Türkiye
- Summer visitor — arrives to breed
- Length
- 140–175 cm
- Wingspan
- 240–300 cm
- Family
- Pelecanidae
- Conservation status
- Not threatened
Months present
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
Similar species
Identification suggestions (from the community or from AI) and the information here may be wrong; this app never confirms that anything is safe to eat. Do not consume wild plants, mushrooms or seafood without expert confirmation. Nothing here is medical advice.