pelicans

navigate by keyword : absent america bare beak become bills birds breeding brightly brown catching characterised coloured contents distribution draining eight exceptions facial family genus global interior large latitudinally living long makes ocean open pale patchy pelecanidae pelican pelicans peruvian plumage polar pouch pouches predominantly prey ranging regions scooped season skin south species swallowing temperate though throat tropics used water well zone

Pelican colony in Danube Delta Romania. The Danube Delta is home to the largest colony of pelicans outside Africa Royalty Free Stock Photo

Vector silhouettes pelicans and sunset Royalty Free Stock Photo

Pelicans up close Royalty Free Stock Photo

Pelicans flying against the blue sky Royalty Free Stock Photo

Danube Delta Romania Pelicans at sunset on Lake Fortuna Royalty Free Stock Photo

Beautiful Seascape in Blue and Turquoise Colors and Flock of Birds, California Coastline Royalty Free Stock Photo

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Ballpark Entrance Royalty Free Stock Photo

Large white pelicans gather together for fishing Royalty Free Stock Photo

Pelicans are a genus of large water birds that makes up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterised by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped up contents before swallowing. They have predominantly pale plumage, the exceptions being the brown and Peruvian pelicans. The bills, pouches and bare facial skin of all species become brightly coloured before the breeding season. The eight living pelican species have a patchy global distribution, ranging latitudinally from the tropics to the temperate zone, though they are absent from interior South America as well as from polar regions and the open ocean.