The
Dalmatian pelican (
Pelecanus crispus) is a bird in the family
Pelecanidae. With a length of 160–183 cm, a mass of 7.25–15 kg and a wingspan of 245–351 cm, it is the largest of the
pelican species and one of the world's largest living flying birds. It has a range spanning across much of
Central Eurasia, from the
Mediterranean in the West to the
Taiwan Strait in the East, and from the
Persian Gulf in the South to
Siberia in the North. It is a short-to-medium-distance
migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. Its preferred habitat is lakes, rivers, deltas and estuaries and it feeds on various fish species such as the
common carp and
European perch. Like many pelicans, the Dalmatian pelican is often silent, but can be vocal during the mating season, engaging in a wide range of guttural, deep vocalisations, including barks, hisses and grunts. This Dalmatian pelican in flight was photographed over the
Danube Delta in Romania.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp