Spot-billed Pelican
    Image: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Spot-billed Pelican

    Pelecanus philippensis

    Waterbirds
    Near Threatened

    Conservation Status

    Conservation hub
    NT - Near ThreatenedDecreasing population

    Close to qualifying as threatened in the near future.

    The spot-billed pelican faces threats from habitat loss and degradation, particularly the draining of wetlands for agriculture and development. While specific large-scale recovery programs are limited, conservation efforts often focus on protecting key breeding and feeding sites. Responsible safari tourism can help by raising awareness of these birds and their habitats, and by supporting local communities and conservation initiatives through park fees and eco-friendly lodges.

    The spot-billed pelican or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close range the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations.

    Description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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