The Pelican Report
General Clasification:
The white pelican is one of the most successful fish-eating
birds.
Description:
The success is largely due to its command hunting behaviour.
A group, perhaps two dozen birds, will gather in a curved arc some distance
offshore. The birds then begin to move forward towards the shore, beating the
water furiously with their wings, driving the fish before them.
When the water is shallow enough for the birds to reach the
fish, the formation breaks up as each bird dips its bill into the water to
scoop up its meal. As the bird lifts its head, the water drains from its bill
leaving the fish which are then swallowed.
Pelicans are among the oldest group of birds, Fossils of
this genus have been found dating back 40 million years.
No comments:
Post a Comment