Also known as the Eastern White Pelican or White Pelican, this bird breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa in swamps and shallow lakes. The Great White Pelican is one of the largest and heaviest flying birds of the world.
To feed, the pelican pushes its bill underwater, the lower bill bows out, creating a large pouch which fills with water and fish. As the bird lifts its head, the pouch contracts, forcing out the water but retaining the fish. A group of 6 to 8 great white pelicans will gather in a horseshoe formation in the water to feed together, dipping their bills in unison. During periods of starvation, pelicans also eat seagulls and ducklings, or as seen in the linked footage below, the chicks of ganarts.
Large numbers of Great White Pelicans breed together in colonies where their young are cared for by both parents.
Pelecanus onocrotalus are exploited for many reasons. Their pouch is used to make tobacco bags, their skin is turned into leather, the guano is used as fertiliser, and the fat of young pelicans is converted into oils for traditional medicine in China and India. Human disturbance, loss of foraging habitat and breeding sites, and pollution are all contributing to the decline of the Great White Pelican.
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From the BBC's Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGqlEA0IRxw
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