From Opus

Alternative names: Chilean Pelican or Chilean Brown Pelican

Pelecanus thagus

Photo by Alastair Rae
Location: Arica, Chile

[edit] Identification

Dark with a white stripe from the top of the bill, up to the crown and down the sides of the neck. They have long tufted feathers on the top of their heads.

Much larger than the similar Brown Pelican with differences in especially bare part colors.

[edit] Distribution

Peru and Chile.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species. Howard & Moore treat this species as a part of Brown Pelican, but the Opus follow Clements and Sibley & Monroe in splitting it.

[edit] Habitat

Beaches, cliffs and guano islands

[edit] Behaviour

2-3 eggs are laid and incubated for 4-5 weeks.

Breeds in large colonies on rocky coasts, feeding in shallow offshore waters along the coast on small schooling fish. This bird feeds on several species of fish. The main prey species is the Peruvian anchovies (Engraulis ringens). Other species consumed are Sardines (Sardinops sagax), Trachurus murphyi and Scomberesox saurus.

Peruvian pelicans feed by diving into the water from flight. During coastal bird watching tours between from Pucusana port to Asia Island in Peru. They can be observed regularly in common feeding frenzies with sea lions, dusky dolphins, Guanay Cormorants, Peruvian Boobies, Inca Terns and several gull species.

[edit] References

1. Mundo Azul Species fact sheet Peruvian pelican
2. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
3. SACC proposal for splitting Peruvian Pelican read in July 2009

[edit] External Links