Dalmatian pelican

Description:

This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living bird species.The Dalmatian pelican is often silent, as most pelicans tend to be, although it can be fairly vocal during the mating season, when it may engage in a wide range of guttural, deep vocalisations, including barks, hisses and grunts.

Habitat:

The Dalmatian pelican is found in lakes, rivers, deltas and estuaries.During the winter, Dalmatian pelicans usually stay on ice-free lakes in Europe or jheels (seasonal lakes) in India. They also visit, typically during winter, inshore areas along sheltered coasts for feeding

Notes:

This pelican feeds almost entirely on fish.This species of pelican has declined greatly throughout its range. It is possible that up to 10,000–20,000 pelicans exist at the species level. People clandestinely kill these pelicans to use or sell their bills as pouches. Dalmatian pelicans may be shot by fishermen who believe the birds are dangerously depleting the fish population and hence threatening their livelihood.