Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Australian Pelican

Pelecanus conspicillatus Temminck, 1824

5.5 kgWeight

The Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand.

Busiest months: January and October · Most records: Australia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January and October · Most records: Australia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia

Australian Pelican has been recorded at 233 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Western Treatment PlantAustralia8,822 records
  2. Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia6,138 records
  3. Cairns EsplanadeAustralia5,440 records
More places
  1. Oxley Creek CommonAustralia3,792 records
  2. Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia3,181 records
  3. Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia2,924 records
  4. Centennial ParkAustralia2,622 records
  5. Herdsman LakeAustralia2,599 records
  6. Broome South Wastewater Treatment PlantAustralia2,294 records
  7. Cairns Esplanade – Southern EndAustralia2,225 records

Countries and regions with the most records

AustraliaTimor-LesteIndonesiaSingaporeBelgiumPapua New GuineaChristmas Island

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand. It is a predominantly white bird with black wings and a pink bill. It has been recorded as having the longest bill of any living bird.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Australian Pelican?

The Australian Pelican weighs around 5.5 kg.

Where does the Australian Pelican live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: inland Australia and Tasmania. It is most often recorded in Australia, Timor-Leste and Indonesia.

When is the best time to see the Australian Pelican?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Australian Pelican endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Australian Pelican as Least Concern.

What does the Australian Pelican eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Australian Pelican in?

It belongs to the family Pelicans (Pelecanidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Weight
5.5 kg
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
602 mm
Tail
151 mm
Bill
414 mm
Tarsus
114 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: inland Australia and Tasmania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pelicans Pelecanidae
Genus
Pelecanus

Other birds in the genus Pelecanus

Great White PelicanGreat White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalusPink-backed PelicanPink-backed PelicanPelecanus rufescensSpot-billed PelicanSpot-billed PelicanPelecanus philippensisDalmatian PelicanDalmatian PelicanPelecanus crispusAmerican White PelicanAmerican White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchosBrown PelicanBrown PelicanPelecanus occidentalisPeruvian PelicanPeruvian PelicanPelecanus thagus
Australian Pelican

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by jcharmon. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages