• Large water birds with long beaks and large throat pouch.

• It is a carnivore, so its diet consists mainly of fish.

• There are about 8 species of Pelicans around the world.

• Commonly found from the tropics to temperate zones.

• Not found on Polar regions, the oceans, or in the interior of South America.

A Pelican’s throat pouch.

The Pelican are famous for its’ throat pouch. They use their elastic pouches to catch its prey and draining water.

Different species use the throat pouch differently. Majority scoop up their prey.

They do not store the fish in their pouches.

They use them to only catch their fish and tip their head backwards to drain the water and swallow the fish immediately.

Pelicans that has scooped up its prey.

Average life span:10 to 25 years or more

Size: Body, 5.8 ft (1.8 m); wingspan, 10 ft (3 m)

Weight: 30 lbs (13 kg)

Size relative to a 6-ft (2m) man

Although they are the Pelicans are one of the heaviest of flying birds, they are relatively light for their apparent bulk because of air pockets in the skeleton and beneath the skin enabling them to float high in the water.

Many pelicans fish by swimming in cooperative groups. They may form a line or a "U" shape and drive fish into shallow water by beating their wings on the surface

The pelican lays eggs to its young.

Pelicans usually lay about 3-4 eggs on average.

Pelicans are commonly found widespread on: freshwater land, marine wet lands, waterways including lakes, swamps, rivers, coastal islands and shores.

The pelicans are commonly found in nesting colonies that can reach 40 000 individuals.

ResourcefulThe Pelican is a very resourceful animal because of its lower bill has a throat pouch that acts as a basket to catch fish and collect water.

CaringBoth male and female pelicans work together to make the nest for their young and they both feed their very young and take care of them.

a. Is there any hardships that the animal has had to encounter?Yes. Pelicans have been persecuted by humans for frequent competition for fish, despite the fact that their diet overlaps little with fish caught by people.

Since the 1880s, Pelicans were clubbed and shot, their eggs and young were destroyed, and their feeding and nesting sites were degraded by water management schemes and wetland drainage.

Pelicans were oftently encounter oil spills. Their bodies get covered with sticky oil which could hamper their ability to regulate their body temperature. They also have trouble with reproducing and affected its diet.

(1st picture)Some pelicans thatwere affected in Oilspill in the Gulf ofMexico.

(2nd Picture)A pelican beingCleaned throughlyby a team from FortJackson, LA rescuecenter

b.What is being done to help their survival?Currently, rescue teams find for pelicans affected by oil spills and thoroughly wash them, not leaving any oil left on its body.They make sure that the pelicans are in clean and good condition.

a.What are some defense mechanisms the animal has to protect itself?When it comes to fighting or agonistic behaviour, the pelican will thrust or snap at their opponent with their bill.

They can also lift or wave their wings in a theatening manner .

1.There are _______ species of

pelicans in the world.a)6

b)7c)8d)12

2. Which of the following are false about the dangers that Pelican face?

a) Persecutionb) Oil Spillsc) Starvationd) Degration of habitat

3. A pelican lays an

average of ______ eggs.

4. What is the average lifespan

of a Pelican?a) 10 to 15 yearsb)10 to 25 yearsc) 20 to 45 yearsd)15 to 30 years

5. What is the name of the part circled in the picture?

?

• http://environmental10.blogspot.sg/2011/04/how-brown-pelicans-are-affected-by-bp.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pelican/• http://dolphins.com.au/pelican-facts.html• http://www.google.com.sg/search?

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