Australian pelican

Description

The Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large waterbird of 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 scavenges for scraps if the opportunity arrises.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 pale,pinkish bill is enormous,even by pelican standards,and is the largest bill in the avian world.The record-sized bill was 50 cm (20 in) long.Females are slightly smaller with a notably smaller bill,which can measure as small as 34.6 cm (13.6 in) at maturity.The total length is boosted by the bill to 152–188 cm (60–74 in),which makes it rank alongside the Dalmatian pelican as the longest of pelicans.It has the largest bill of any bird.