Pelican | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Aswithotherbirdfamilies,pelicansaresusceptibletoavarietyofparasites.AvianmalariaiscarriedbythemosquitoCulexpipens,andhighdensitiesofthese ...

Genus of large water birds with a throat pouch

Pelicans (genus Pelecanus) are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. They have predominantly pale plumage, except for the brown and Peruvian pelicans. The bills, pouches, and bare facial skin of all pelicans become brightly coloured before the breeding season.

The eight living pelican species have a patchy, seasonally-dependent yet global distribution, ranging latitudinally from the tropics to the temperate zone. Pelicans are absent from interior Amazonian South America, from polar regions and the open ocean; at least one species is known to migrate to the inland desert of Australias Red Centre, after heavy rains create temporary lakes. White pelicans are also observed at the American state of Utahs Great Salt Lake, for example, some 600 miles...