Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyPelecanidae (Pelicans)
- GenusPelecanus (Pelicans)
- SpeciesPelecanus conspicillatus (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. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Australian Pelican sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ningaloo Marine Park
Pacific Reef Heron
Egretta sacra
Great Egret
Ardea alba
White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
Ardea modesta
Ardea modesta
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Australian Pelican in Ningaloo Marine Park?
About 28% of wildlife watchers report a Australian Pelican sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Australian Pelican in Ningaloo Marine Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Australian Pelican in Ningaloo Marine Park in our monthly data.