Species profile
About the great white pelican
The great white pelican is one of the largest flying birds in Africa, with a wingspan of up to three metres, brilliant white plumage and a vast yellow throat pouch. In flight, squadrons glide in perfect line abreast just above the water.
What sets it apart is cooperative fishing: groups form a horseshoe, beat the water with their wings to drive fish into the shallows, then dip in unison. Lake Manyara is the classic Tanzanian place to watch this, with pelicans working the shallows alongside flamingos and storks.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Fishes in coordinated groups in shallow water, soars on thermals to travel long distances, and loafs in dense flocks on sandbars and shorelines.
Social life
Intensely social. Feeds, roosts, migrates and breeds in dense colonies, nesting on the ground on islands and remote shores.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
A throat pouch holding several litres, and cooperative fishing that lets a flock harvest shoals no single bird could catch.
