Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
- FamilyPelecanidae (Pelicans)
- GenusPelecanus (Pelicans)
- SpeciesPelecanus conspicillatus (Australian Pelican)
About the Australian Pelican
The Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand. It is a predominantly white bird with black wings and a pink bill. It has been recorded as having the longest bill of any living bird. It mainly eats fish, but will also consume birds and scavenge for scraps if the opportunity arises.
The Australian pelican was first described by Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin verb conspicere, meaning 'to behold', and refers to the 'spectacled' appearance created by its conspicuous eye markings.
The Australian pelican is medium-sized by pelican standards, with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.6 m (7.5 to 8.5 ft). Weight can range from 4 to 13 kg (8.8 to 28.7 lb), although most of these pelicans weigh between 4.54 and 7.7 kg (10.0 and 17.0 lb). The average weight of four unsexed Australian pelicans was 5.5 kg (12 lb), making this the second heaviest Australian flying bird species on average, after the brolga, although the male of... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Cape Range
Pacific Reef Heron
Egretta sacra
Great Egret
Ardea alba
White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
Ardea modesta
Ardea modesta
Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Australian Pelican in Cape Range?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Australian Pelican sighting in Cape Range, based on 87 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Australian Pelican in Cape Range?
November has the highest sighting rate for Australian Pelican in Cape Range in our monthly data.