Great White Pelican
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pelicans

Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

LCLeast Concern
Family
Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Order
Pelecaniformes

Overview

The great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), also known as the eastern white pelican (in contrast to the western pelican of the Americas), rosy pelican or simply white pelican, is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes.
The great white pelican has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN). It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Annexure I under the EU Birds Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to see it

Destination guides featuring this bird

Range and habitat

Locally in south-central Eurasia, southern Asia, and Africa.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.