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Great White Pelican- Pelecanus onocrotalus

Description:
Female: 8kg, Male 11kg
Wingspan: 2-3.5m
Locally fairly common

Moos and grunts similar to hippo

Habitat: estuaries, dams, shallow lakes, lagoons and even bays.

Food: fish, but are records of eating water bird’s chicks.

During our July08 Kruger trip we saw 3 Pelicans just outside of Punda Maria on the S60. I was amazed as in my limited (but growing) interest and knowledge of birds I though Pelicans you'll only find at the coast.

What would these birds eat here?

They eat fish.

Pelicans are found surprisingly often at some bigger dams on the Eastern side of Kruger. Kanniedood and Engelhard dams are places to go look for it.

I have yet to see a Pelican!

Awesome pics and brilliant sighting, Yolandé!

Great-white Pelicans are vagrants in and around Kruger but are sometimes seen around slow-flowing rivers or big dams, like WTM mentioned. I would love to see one in Kruger!


They mainly eat fish. They have been recorded eating fruit, but on the coast mainly supplement their fishy diet with chicks from gulls, penguins or chickens. One pelican was even recorded swallowing a whole adult Reed Cormorant!