White Pelican Alina M. 10-V Nikopol, Ukraine

Family pelikanovyh Family pelikanovyh (Pelecanidae) is small. It is represented by eight species, inhabiting all continents except Antarctica. Their ancestors appeared on Earth about million years ago. Judging from the fossilized remains of ancestors of pelicans, onokrotalov, these birds have a wingspan of more than 5 meters and their weight, according to expert estimates, up to 40 kg. But, despite the fact that the ancient bird had a more impressive look than now living, the power of pelican's hard not to stand out among their close relatives - cormorants, gannets, Shay and frigates. To emphasize respect for them, in the East they are called "Baba-birds" because "woman" - is taken by the respectful treatment of the elderly.

Family pelikanovyh On the ground, they seem very awkward, but on the water - transformed perfectly swimming and diving. Thanks to its agility and mobility pelicans can produce huge amounts of fish, which sometimes causes Ichthyologists considerable anxiety. Today, the number of pelicans was significantly reduced. The reason for that - to change the hydrological regime of water bodies, pollution by chemicals, which reduces the amount of fish, the sole source of nutrition copepods.

White Pelican (Pelicans onocrotalus). The plumage of birds of this kind of pinkish- white, in-flight visible black primaries feathers. But fluff chicks pink pelican has absolutely black. Wingspan in adult birds reaches 3.2 m. Nests pink pelican colonies in a few areas of Eastern Europe, Central Asia and southern Africa.

mating season Only in the mating season pelicans forget about reliability. To please her friends, males begin to circle around them, lightly bouncing and waving its wings. Once couples are determined, begins building a nest. Females lay 2-3 eggs, incubation period lasts more than a month. Chicks are born naked and blind. During feeding parents grab his head pelikanenka deeply immersed her in his esophagus and burps semidigested food. In the early days of the chicks enough to eat only grams per day, but by the end of the first month of life, the food they already need about a kilogram. Have such an enviable appetite for chicks grow quickly and by the end of the second month, increase your weight by 100 times.

White Pelican Not yet having completely change the fluff on the dress, little pelicans leave the nest and moves on the water, where, under the supervision of adults learn to fish. Having mastered the water element, pelicans embarking on the basics of flight technique. Virtuoso ability pelicans fish since ancient times been used in human beings. To this end, domesticated birds, the fishermen were taken aboard the boat and went to sea for prey. Neck, a pelican wore a ring that allowed him to ingest only small fishes and large the same were removed from the beak-nets owner.