{"id":188,"date":"2018-04-06T02:56:27","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T02:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/clements\/?p=188"},"modified":"2018-04-06T02:56:27","modified_gmt":"2018-04-06T02:56:27","slug":"bird-of-the-week-the-australian-pelican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/clements\/2018\/04\/06\/bird-of-the-week-the-australian-pelican\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird of the week – the Australian pelican"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This week\u2019s bird of the week is Australia\u2019s largest water bird<\/strong> \u2013 the Australian pelican, weighing as much as 13 kg (28.7 pounds). It is a genuine\u00a0Australian pelican<\/strong>, and the only pelican found on the island continent. Despite their size, they can actually fly and in fact are quite the wanderers. In fact, one of the first pelicans we saw here in Australia was in a tree in the middle of a sheep pasture \u2013 see the lonely pelican in the tree below.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Since then we\u2019ve seen a few pelicans around at various places, always easy to recognize and fun to watch \u2013 they definitely have attitude<\/strong>. Not only do fish have much to fear, I think you\u2019d be scared to be another bird in their vicinity. At the same time, they seem to have a comical side.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I got to see the pelicans at the Healesville Sanctuary<\/strong> just after feeding time, and they were a boisterous bunch. I learned from the keeper feeding them that contrary to popular belief, the pelicans don\u2019t use their big flappy bills to store fish \u2013 rather they use them as snapping nets to capture fish under water. She feeds them once a day usually, but sometimes they are not so hungry the first time, so she has to go back to give them the rest of their daily heaps of fish<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n