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Dalmatian Pelican
Paignton Zoo is home to five Dalmatian pelicans. They live in the aviary in the centre of the zoo, opposite Monkey Heights.
Class:
Aves
Order:
Pelecaniformes
Family:
Pelecanidae
About the Dalmatian pelican
The Dalmatian pelican is one of the largest flying birds in the world, native to large lakes, deltas, and wetlands across southeastern Europe and Central Asia, including Greece, Romania, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. With its pale grey-white plumage and enormous bill pouch, it is a powerful fish specialist.
Dalmatian pelicans breed in colonies on wetlands and form loose flocks outside the breeding season.
Conservation
The species is classified as Near Threatened, with wetland loss, disturbance, persecution, and infrastructure collision affecting populations across Europe and Central Asia.