Photos

When visiting the Victor Harbor region in South Australia a while back one of my aims was to get a good image of a Pelican. My friend and I were extremely lucky when we came across a flock of them which must frequent this spot. There were heaps of them posing for us.

Pelican:
Description
There are seven species of pelicans in the world, all of which are similar in shape and, with one exception, are primarily white in colour. Males are larger than females. The most characteristic feature of pelicans is the elongated bill with its massive throat pouch. The bill is 40-50cm long and is larger in males than females.

Pelicans weigh 4.0-6.8kg, are 1.6-1.8m long. Pelicans have large wings and a wingspan of 2.3-2.5 m. They have an extremely light skeleton, weighing less than 10% of their total body weight.

Distribution
The Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus is found throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea and western Indonesia, with occasional reports in New Zealand and various western Pacific islands. In Australia it is widespread on freshwater, estuarine and marine wetlands and waterways including lakes, swamps, rivers, coastal islands and shores.

Diet
Pelicans mainly eat fish, but they are opportunistic feeders and eat a variety of aquatic animals including crustaceans, tadpoles and turtles. They readily accept 'handouts' from humans, and a number of unusual items have been recorded in their diet. During periods of starvation, pelicans have been reported capturing and eating seagulls and ducklings. The gulls are held under water and drowned before being eaten headfirst. Pelicans will also rob other birds of their prey.
http://www.amonline.net.au/birds/factsheets/pelican.htm

The Photo:
Converted from RAW to Jpeg
Resized
Sharpened
Increased saturation and contrast slightly
Framed

Cheers,
Debbie