Description

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Context:

The breeding season for spot-billed pelicans has begun at Uppalapadu Bird Protection Centre, which has around 3,000 of the birds.

About Spot-billed pelicans

Scientific name: Pelecanus philippensis.

Physical Description:

They are relatively small pelicans. Pre-breeding adult Spot-billed Pelicans are generally gray dorsally, turning to white ventrally with a relatively long brown-grey crest. The eye ring and most of the facial skin is orange-yellow, although the skin in front of each eye is bright purple.

Behaviour: It is a social species, lives and travels mostly in flocks. Spot-billed pelicans are not graceful on land, but they fly well and are strong swimmers.

It is capable of hunting huge fish from bodies of water and swamps and is therefore prone to infestation.

Food Habits: Spotted Pelicans are carnivorous and eat a diet of mostly fish, but sometimes include small reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic crustaceans.

It hunts for food in both freshwater and marine environments, sometimes diving slightly below the surface, but never to a great depth.

Habitat: lives in lowland freshwater, brackish and marine wetlands of Southeast Asia, mainly near open water.

The largest remaining populations are in India, Sri Lanka, southern Cambodia and Sumatra along with coastal areas.

Conservation Status:

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists it as Near Threatened.

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV.

READ ABOUT

Spot-billed pelicans

Bilmukh Bird Sanctuary and Benog Wildlife

Kaliveli bird sanctuary

Source:

The Hindu

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements about Spot-billed Pelicans:

They are primarily found in freshwater and coastal regions across South and Southeast Asia.
Spot-billed Pelicans are known for their distinctive yellow beaks and are often seen in large colonies.
These birds feed mainly on fish and other aquatic organisms.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Spot-billed Pelicans are primarily found in freshwater and coastal regions across South and Southeast Asia. They are commonly seen in regions such as India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and parts of China.

Statement 2 is correct: Spot-billed Pelicans are known for their distinctive appearance with a large, yellow bill and a pinkish pouch below the bill making them easily identifiable in large colonies.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While Spot-billed Pelicans primarily feed on fish, they also consume amphibians, crustaceans and occasionally small mammals. Their diet is not exclusively aquatic organism.