Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great White Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus
Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a member of the Pelecanidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 9.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Pelecanidae Pelicans
- Genus Pelecanus
- Species onocrotalus
Where it lives
Patchily inland eastern Europe to eastern Kazakhstan; Sub-Saharan Africa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.3 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Pelecanidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Near Threatened
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great White Pelican hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Great White Pelican is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a species of bird in the Pelecanidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF patchily inland e Europe to e Kazakhstan; Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 9.3 kg, with a wing length of about 64.6 cm and a tail of around 16.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 810,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great White Pelican?
The Great White Pelican is a very large bird that weighs around 9.3 kg.
Where does the Great White Pelican live?
The Great White Pelican is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF patchily inland e Europe to e Kazakhstan; Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great White Pelican belong to?
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) belongs to the Pelecanidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Great White Pelican eat?
The Great White Pelican hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Great White Pelican migrate?
The Great White Pelican is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Great White Pelican endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great White Pelican make?
1 real field recording of the Great White Pelican — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great White Pelican's range?
The Great White Pelican has a mapped global range of about 810,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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