Spot-billed Pelican
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pelicans

Spot-billed Pelican

Pelecanus philippensis

NTNear Threatened
Family
Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Order
Pelecaniformes

Overview

The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) 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.

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

Range and habitat

Lowlands of India to southeastern Asia and Philippines.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.