Dalmatian Pelican

The Dalmatian pelican, or curly-headed pelican, is the largest pelican and among the heaviest flying birds, 1.6–1.8 m long with a wingspan typically 2.7–3.2 m and an average weight of about 9.5 kg. Its curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings look solid grey in flight. In winter adults are drabber and look more like the great white pelican, and the upper mandible stays greyish, often with a slight orange tip (Wikipedia, general species account).

Its range spans much of central Eurasia, from the eastern Mediterranean to the Taiwan Strait and from the Persian Gulf to Siberia, and it makes short-to-medium-distance migrations. In the non-breeding season it seeks out ice-free inland waters, such as large lakes in Europe or the temporary wetlands known as jheels in India, which provide essential foraging and resting habitat. As with other pelicans its diet is mainly fish and males are larger than females. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority: a winter migrant of wetland with a rapid current decline of nearly 8% a year (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).