Curio

Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), 1790s

TAL & Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased from The Rt Hon. The 19th Earl of Derby, 2011; PXD 1098, vol. 4, f. 92

Watercolour

Australian pelicans can travel long distances, reaching speeds of around 55 kilometres per hour.

Australian pelicans have extremely light skeletons, weighing less than 10% of their total body weight.

During courtship, Australian pelicans perform ‘pouch rippling’. This involves clapping their bill shut several times a second making the attached pouch ripple like a flag to attract a mate.

Australian pelicans are found in large expanses of open water including lakes, rivers and lagoons. They plunge-dive to catch a variety of fish.

Mr Percival, a much-loved pelican, was made famous in Colin Thiele’s 1964 book, Storm Boy.

Australian pelicans have the longest bill of any living bird, with a record size of 50 centimetres.

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