A visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast, Queensland has brought into focus a few facts about the pelican……
The bill and pouch of pelicans play an important role in feeding. The bill is sensitive and this helps locate fish in murky water. It also has a hook at the end of the upper mandible, probably for gripping slippery food items.
During periods of starvation, pelicans have been reported capturing and eating seagulls and ducklings. The gulls are held under water and drowned before being eaten headfirst. Pelicans will also rob other birds of their prey.
The bill of the pelican is the large bill or beak in the world.
Habitat
Pelicans are widespread on freshwater, estuarine and marine wetlands and waterways including lakes, swamps, rivers, coastal islands and shores.
Distribution
The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea and western Indonesia, with occasional reports in New Zealand and various western Pacific islands.
Bill or beak?
Not a thing—the words are synonymous. Ornithologists tend to use the word “bill” more often than “beak.” Some people use “beak” when referring to songbirds with pointed bills, and “bill” when discussing birds like ducks with more fleshy beaks. However, both words are used in reference to a wide variety of species.
- Sources: https://australian.museum ; Currumbin Sanctuary ; https://www.allaboutbirds.org
About the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
