Skip to content →

Biggest bill? (#4 in “Lake Monger 01.01.22” series)

 

According to numerous sources, no other living bird has a bigger bill than the Australian Pelican’s.

 

Bills/beaks are difficult to measure, most especially the larger ones with flexible, pouch-like lower sections.

Unsurprisingly, the metaphorical jury has not unanimously given “the gong” to Pelecanus conspicillatus.

It is, however, nigh-unanimous in agreeing that Australia’s pelicans  have the bird world’s longest bills.

This post’s Guinness-gonged hero was opening his or hers on the western side of Lake Monger at 7.02 pm on New Year’s Day.

Tomorrow’s post also features a pelican opening wider than a dentist’s most compliant patient ever could.

Footnote to yesterday’s post:

When/if its Eurasian Coot chick eventually resembles its parents, s/he will then have amazing “clown” feet.

Click this to see what I mean.

(my thanks to the friend who alerted me to the article, which has several excellent photos and more information)

Published in nature and travel photographs Western Australia