Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)

Family
Pelecanidae (Pelicans)

Size
130 cm

First Described (Guide)
Gmelin, 1789

Habitat
Freshwater lakes, swamps, large slow-flowing rivers, and seasonal pools. Also reservoirs, seasonally flooded land and flood-plains near river mouths, alkaline and saline lakes and lagoons, and sometimes coastal bays and estuaries.

Range (Guide)

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the] (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar (E), Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia (B), Senegal (B), Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Uganda, Yemen (B) (NB), Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Vagrant to Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Poland.

Subtropical and tropical Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia to Natal (South Africa) and Botswana; also Madagascar (formerly) and recently south-western Arabia.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 50,000 - 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Almost entirely of fish, but also small invertebrates and amphibians.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files

Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) [XC737594]
by Alain Malengreau from Kalabo, Western Province, Zambia (call)

Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) [XC862719]
by id from Kataba1 (near Kassel), Bignona, R\u00e9gion de Ziguinchor, Senegal (call)

Nest
Composed of sticks, located in trees, reeds or low bushes along waterfronts, about 10 - 50 m above the ground or on the ground on sandy islands and in mangroves. In colonies.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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