All you need to know about Pelicans
Where do they live?
Pelicans can be found all over Australia, Papa New Guinea and they try to stay in wet areas while trying to avoid very dry places. They stay in large water areas like fresh water and salt lakes, rivers, swamps, lagoons, coastlines and wet biomes that doesn't have much vegetation. Water is a critical part to the Pelican's life.
How do they get hurt?
Fishing wire is a big contribution. These majestic creatures are big and it is easier for them to get caught in fishing wire because they are big. When the Pelicans, with their 40cm bill, grab fish they also pick up lots of micro plastics and after multiple eatings of fish they eventually die from an overload of plastic and starve to death because the plastic can't be digested as it stays in the stomach which gives them a feeling of being full.
How you can help?
The first step is your behaviour. You need to change your behaviour by not littering and not buying fresh food covered in plastic when it is not needed as you are encouraging the use of plastic. If you can't avoid buying plastic make sure that you dispose of it properly. Once you have ticked those off the list, consider making direct action to save the pelicans like donating money or buy a canvas bag and all the money goes straight to their organisations. To get the designs of the bags click 'Donate'. Click on the video 'Dump it!' and learn which plastics should go in which bin.
Fun Facts
Pelicans live from 10 years to about 25 years or more.
There are 7 species of pelicans and all of the species look similar.
Pelicans have the largest beaks of all birds in the world.
The Pelicans wingspan is from about 2.3-2.5 meters.
During breeding season the Pelicans bill turn a bluey colour.
The brown pelicans are no longer classified 'endangered' as of 2009.
The Pelicans beaks are so big they can hold from 9-13 litres of water.
Even though these creatures are big, their skeleton is only 10% of their body weight compared to humans which is 15%.
What have we done to this poor Pelican? It is now going to digest the plastic and because it is so big, it is going to harm itself and most likely die.
Bibliography
https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/marine/marine-parks-wa/fun-facts/380-australian-pelican
https://www.penguinisland.com.au/student-resources
Credits:
Created with images by Adi - "The great white pelican preparing to take off from the water. The bird has it's wings wide open and the legs touching the water before take-off" • Linda - "Brown pelican along the Matanzas River" • Aaron - "Schools of fish swimming over the reef in crystal clear blue water" • robnaw - "Pelikan Różowy w Senegalu" • sezer66 - "Fishermen on the fishing boat" • georgigerdzhikov - "Dalmatian Pelican of Kerkini Lake" • byrdyak - "Great white pelican" • thecriss - "Pelicans in The Danube Delta, Tulcea, Romania " • Kevin - "Exploring Noosa in Queensland, Australia" • iMrSquid - "Pelican Grooming - Square 06" • magann - "pelican Australia sea" • Andrea Izzotti - "Pelican while flying at sunset" • André Gerken - "beautiful pelican on the cuban varadero beach looking to the left with the sea in the backgrund, cuba" • DZiegler - "Pelicans Panorama, Kangaroo Island, Australia" • Mikhail Semenov - "A plastic bottle in the mouth of a pelican bird ( problem of water pollution with plastic). Unhappy bird can swallow debris and die."