Photo: Alice Wiegand / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pink-backed Pelican
Pelecanus rufescens
Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) is a member of the Pelecanidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 5.4 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 rufescens
Where it lives
Inland southeastern Egypt, western, southwestern Arabian Pen., and Africa south of the Sahara; formerly also Madagascar and St. Joseph'southern Atoll (Amirantes group, north-central Seychelles)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 5.4 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Pelecanidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pink-backed 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 Pink-backed Pelican is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) belongs to the Pelecanidae family of the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF inland se Egypt, w, sw Arabian Pen., and Africa s of the Sahara; formerly also Madagascar and St. Joseph's Atoll (Amirantes group, nc Seychelles).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 5.4 kg, with a wing length of about 58.3 cm and a tail of around 17.5 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 14.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pink-backed Pelican?
The Pink-backed Pelican is a very large bird that weighs around 5.4 kg.
Where does the Pink-backed Pelican live?
The Pink-backed Pelican is found across Africa with a range covering AF inland se Egypt, w, sw Arabian Pen., and Africa s of the Sahara; formerly also Madagascar and St. Joseph's Atoll (Amirantes group, nc Seychelles), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Pink-backed Pelican belong to?
The Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) belongs to the Pelecanidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Pink-backed Pelican eat?
The Pink-backed Pelican hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Pink-backed Pelican migrate?
The Pink-backed Pelican is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pink-backed 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.
How large is the Pink-backed Pelican's range?
The Pink-backed Pelican has a mapped global range of about 14.1 million 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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