No great effort is required for an inner urban Perth resident to experience literally hundreds of pelican sightings in a single year.
According to most “reliable” sources, the Dalmatian Pelican is the biggest pelican.
In the beak department, however, Pelecanus conspicillatus – the Australian pelican – is numero uno, and not just among among pelicans.
The Australian Pelican’s beak is the biggest and longest of any living bird species.
Its capacity can reach 13 litres.
This is not readily apparent to those who look up at a pelican directly overhead, as my beloved and I did this afternoon, whilst walking by the Swan River in East Perth.
In flight it is the enormous wingspan – circa 2.5 metres – that is inescapably evident.
When an Australian Pelican is on the ground and engaging in some actual “pelican yoga”, the wings’ span is not obvious, but the beak’s enormous size becomes startlingly apparent.
To see what I mean, click this…and you will also discover how this blog was named.