~White Pelican~
SWAHILI NAME: Mwali, Wali (plural)Kingdom: Animalia
Family: Pelecanidae
Genus: Pelecanus)
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
These white birds have black flight feathers, yellow beak, short legs and slightly pink feet. Their huge expandable throat pouches, which they use for catching fish, are conspicuous.
Pelicans are relatively light birds with large bodies. Air in their bones and skin make them lighter than they appear. Nevertheless, at 30 pounds, White Pelicans are among the largest flying birds - yet they are graceful fliers. Females are smaller than males.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT:
White Pelicans occur commonly throughout Africa on large areas of inland water but are uncommon on the coast. In East Africa vast numbers breed in the swamps of southern Tanzania. They are very abundant on Lake Nakuru in Kenya.
Some of them winter in Indonesia and the Philippine Islands.
BEHAVIOR:
White Pelicans fish cooperatively by forming a circle of swimming birds, "herding" the fish towards the center, then scooping them up in their huge throat pouches. The expandable throat pouches serve as fishing nets, not for Food storage.
They occasionally grunt, but are nearly mute.
They are surface feeders and do not dive for fish as brown pelicans do.
DIET:
These birds eat fish exclusively. Their daily food intake of about 2.5 pounds may comprise a few large fish or hundreds of small ones.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
During breeding season the adult birds develop a crest of feathers on their heads, a yellow patch on their fore necks and a pinkish tinge to their plumage. Males sometimes become a deep salmon-pink.
Males display in groups to attract receptive females. Mated pairs display further and females select the nest sites. Breeding colonies of up to 60,000 birds may occur, sometimes far from water.
White Pelicans have lived up to 54 years in captivity.
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