Australian Pelican

Pelicanus conspicillatus

Despite its name, the Austrlian Pelican is found in more places than Australia. Fiji, New Guinea, and Indonesia are also countires that this bird calls home. Some have even made their way over to New Zealand!

These birds prefer habitats that have a lot of open water. Lakes, reservoirs, lagoons, and rivers are just some of the different bodies of water the Pelicans will live near. But really, any body of water that has enough food to sustain them will do.

Australian Pelicans are large birds, but are medium-size when compared to only other Pelicans. Tehy do, however, have the largest bill in the world-- the longest recorded was 20in long!

The Pelicans use those bills in order collect and store prey. They hunt together, working in groups to drive small fish and aquatic animals to shallower areas. Once that is accomplished they use their bills to snatch up prey. Fish is their primary food source-- but they have been observed killing other waterbirds to. Because they lack sharp claws or a tearing beak, they have to kill them by drowning them.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Wingspan up to 8.5ft (2.6m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Pelecanidae -- Genus : Pelecanus -- Species : P. conspicillatus
Image :  Quartl

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Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

When we think about birds with massive wingspans, the Albatross comes to mind. But did you know that Pelicans can be just as gigantic? Even though it is the second in average size to the Dalmatian Pelican, the Great White is able to sport a larger wingspan-- close to 12ft!

Great White Pelicans live near shallow bodies of freshwater, and most of the birds are migratory. During the summers they live in slightly cooler parts of Europe and Asia, and during the winter they move to northern Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia. There are a few resident populations as well, and those are found in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Great White Pelican lives its entire life in a large group. They feed, breed, and migrate in colonies. Unsurprisingly with a bill that large, these birds are excellent fishermen, which is good because each birds needs to eat about 3lbs of fish every day. They actually spend very little time hunting every day, and are normally finished by late morning. The Pelicans spend most of their time bathing, preening, and monitoring their territory.

Though the Great White Pelicans are currently listed as being of Least Concern, some populations are declining and Europe. Also, the birds are being forced to move farther and farther away to do their hunting, as human overfishing is affecting their stocks. Humans also hunt the Pelicans themselves-- their pouches are used for tobacco bags, and their skin and meat is also valued.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe, Africa, and Asia
Size : Wingspan up to 11.5ft (3.5m), Weight up to 33lbs (15kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Pelecanidae -- Genus : Pelecanus -- Species : P. onocrotalus
Image :  Andrew Massyn

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Black-faced Spoonbill

Platalea minor

Of all the Spoonbills in the world, only the Black-faced Spoonbill is considered to be Endangered. It is estimed that there are around 2,700 of these wading birds left in the world, and they
breed only on a handful of islands off the coast of Korea and the Liaoning Province of China.

Black-faced Spoonbills have white-feathered bodies, with black bills and faces. During the breeding season their neck feathers turn yellow, and they also develop a crest along the back of their head. They breed in May, building nests on cliffs, and spend their non-breeding time living in coastal wetlands and mudflats. Their spoon-shaped bills help them to dredge up small fish and crustaceans.

These birds are endangered due to habitat loss. The wetlands that they live in are being drained for development and agriculture. It also doesn't help that they have very few wintering sites (specific locations in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Vietnam). Should something happen to any of those sites (natural or man-made), the birds would be in even more trouble. Black-faced Spoonbills are protected in most of their breeding and wintering ranges, and a survey is being continuously done to track their numbers.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : East Asia
Size : Length up to 30in (77cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Threskiornithidae -- Genus : Platalea -- Species : P. minor

Image : Alnus

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Reddish Egret

Egretta rufescens

The Reddish Egret is an appropriately named species of Heron that can be found in Central America, and around the Gulf Coast in the United States. They stand a little under 3ft tall, and typically sport long dark legs, reddish heads and necks, and slate-grey coloration on the wings and back.

Do not confused them with Snowy Egrets! Now, you may wonder how anyone could mistake a red and grey bird for an all white one, but it happens! You see, Reddish Egrets have a white color morph. This means that they sometimes turn out completely white, much like their Snowy cousins. The two actually do have a slight overlap in ranges, so the easiest way to figure them out is by the color yellow. Snowy egrets have some yellow on their beaks and feet, Reddish Egrets do not.

Reddish Egrets are most active during dusk and dawn, and they are usually seen on the move. They hunt for prey in shallow waters, running around in search of Fish, Amphibians, and Crustaceans. The Herons often move about with their wings outstretched, as this creates shade and reduces glare on the water surface.

As far as reproductive issues are concerned, the Reddish Egret reaches sexual maturity around 4 years of age. Their courtship displays include head bobs, chases, and various flights, but once a mate is chosen they remain monogamous for at least that season. The couple will build a nest together, either on the ground or in a tree, and they often nest in very large colonies that can contain hundreds of birds. They lay up to 4 eggs, and the color of the chicks depends on the color of the parents. Dark morph parents can have chicks of either color, but two white morph parents will always have white morph offspring.

Reddish Egrets are listed as Near Threatened due to habitat degradation. Like many other birds, they were hunted extensively in the 19th century for their feathers, but their population has since rebounded.

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IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : North and Central America
Size : Length up to 32in (.8m), Wingspan up to 50in (1.3m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Ardeidae -- Genus : Egretta -- Species : E. rufescens

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