Pelican (Pink-backed)

Pink-backed Pelican favours freshwater lakes and lagoons, open water in marshes, mangrove creeks, sheltered coastal waters. Pink-backed Pelican’s main food is fish and they fish generally in groups. Their beaks can hold up to 8 litres of water and fish.

Pink-baked Pelican nests in trees, near water, however, the trees die, due to the weight of the nests on their branches.

One of the world’s largest flying birds. They take off with difficulties, but once they are in flight, they fly well with few wing beats, alternating with glides. They fly with their heads pulled back over their chests. When flying in flock, they use a slanting line as a formation. They take turns to relieve the leader when it tires.

The chicks plunge their heads deep into the parental throat pouch to feed on partially digested fish.
 
Photographed at Toronto Zoo, Toronto, ON