Archive 1

Source?

I would like very much to know where the source is that says "From Fossil record it is known Pelicans have been around for over 40 million years" I am very curious ? thank you.

Look further down in the aricle at Pelican#Fossil_record Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 02:53, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

Pelicans bringing newborn babies to the expecting mothers

why there is no mention of this popular myth that Pelicans bring newborn babies to the expecting mothers. what created this myth? and why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.71.47.44 (talk) 10:18, 14 March 2010 (UTC)

The Pelican Can! Dfrg.msc 02:36, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

---Why are they so big?

What about pelican excrement? I can't seem to find ANY information on wikipedia about pelican droppings!

--- I saw a video of a pelican eating a pigeon: http://break.com/index/pelican_tries_to_eat_a_pigeon.html is this normal? Xaerocool 08:00, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Age of pelicans

There is nothing in the article which states the typical life-span of the various sub-species. According to the "International Movie Database", one of the pelicans in the Australian movie "Storm Boy" (1976) died in 2009, making him about 33 years old when he died. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076767/trivia —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shrdlu junction (talkcontribs) 06:26, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Image of Australian Pelican

I saw this (bottom) image at commons, and changed this:

 
120-px

with this:

 
120-px

As somebody who shoots first, and asks afterwards, anyone who disagrees with this change? Delta TangoTalk 03:57, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh great photos! Zomputer 21:49, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Pelican eats pigeon

Times on lineAnemoneProjectors (talk) 08:57, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

BBC 67.32.139.50 13:48, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't think this behaviour is as rare as some would have you believe. I have personally seen an Australian pelcan trying to eat ducklings. There are also TWO separate pigeon eating videos on YouTube and mutiple witness accounts from St James Park, some that involve eating ducks.

In episode 5 of BBC's Life series, it states and clearly shows Great White pelicans traversing in standard v-shape formation their usual feeding grounds and entering other bird colonies and eating unsupervised chicks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-BjDE5yJi4&feature=related 69.196.130.224 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 03:02, 4 October 2010 (UTC).
Having said that, these are pinioned captive birds in artificial settings. Of the three species I've seen in the wild, I've never seen any incidence of predation other than on fish. jimfbleak 06:24, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Second video here

How is the pelican protected from damage to its throat and stomach? As a layman, I would have assumed a considerable risk of scratching, possibly even perforation, by the claws and beak of the pigeon (ducks are likely less problematic.)188.100.204.101 (talk) 16:00, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Photo

I replaced the photo because I foun a cuter one. Hope no one minds. If you do feel free to revert me. I wont take it personally. Zomputer 02:49, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

i don't think you should choose or replace images based on their "cuteness" but on how representative they are of the subject. for example, 65.95.195.193 (talk) 19:13, 30 October 2021 (UTC)you could use a still from the pigeon-eating incident to accompany the feeding section, that would be more educational.

Cannibalism

I thought that the old myth about pelican mothers letting their chicks eat them arose because someone saw chicks feeding from the mother's bill and assumed they were eating the mother's mouth itself. I read it in a book, anyway. Brutannica 22:48, 2 February 2007 (UTC) should it be noted that alot of pelicans eat other birds...alot look it up on youtube —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.100.164.44 (talk) 00:44, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

New Photo

I changed the main photo after taking this new back-lit one at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. (5D, 400mm 2.8) http://www.pbase.com/ahuse/image/75923093

Is this true?

In this article, it mentions that pelicans are found on all continents but Antarctica. Is this true??? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.166.221.182 (talk) 20:29, 1 April 2007 (UTC).

Yes, Peruvian in SAm, Brown and American White in NAM, Spot-billed in Asia, Great White and Dalmatian in Europe, Pink-backed in Africa, Australian in ... jimfbleak 05:14, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

pelican in mythology

"In medieval Europe, the pelican was thought to be particularly attentive to her young, to the point of providing her own blood when no other food was available. As a result, the pelican became a symbol of the Passion of Jesus and of the Eucharist. It also became a symbol in bestiaries for self-sacrifice, and was used in heraldry ("a pelican in her piety" or "a pelican vulning (wounding) herself"). Another version of this is that the pelican used to kill its young and then resurrect them with its blood, this being analogous to the sacrifice of Jesus. Thus the symbol of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is a pelican, and for most of its existence the headquarters of the service was located at Pelican House in Dublin, Ireland."

Okay, I wanted to edit this, but the page is protected. I was going to mention how the myth (as documented by J.L. Borges in his fantastic Book of Imaginary Creatures) describes how the pelican draws blood from his chest in order to restore the baby pelicans back to life, ratehr than providing her own blood when no other food was available. In some versions of the myth, the young pelicans were killed by snakes, in others, by the mother, but with the return of the male pelican, the blood was shed and the little baby pelicans sprung back to life.

What's the jive. Can someone edit it? I'll type in my reference when I get home. Stevehancock (talk) 16:59, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

migratory

I was surprised to find pelicans in Indianapolis, Indiana last weekend at Eagle Creek Park. I had no idea that they were migratory. The article makes no mention of these birds being migratory. There were some birders at the park who confirmed that these were indeed pelicans. I am no bird expert, just a photographer out looking for some good pictures. Here are some images:

--rogerd (talk) 02:14, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

Not all the pelican species are migratory, but American White Pelican is. Take a look at that page, and why not add you excellent photos to it? Jimfbleak (talk) 06:48, 23 March 2008 (UTC)
Thanks for helping me identify the sub-species. Again, I am no bird expert, but if I keep going to the park with my camera, I might become more knowledgeable. I have added the images to the gallery there. --rogerd (talk) 13:17, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

- Can someone edit the kleptoparasitism link? their appears to be a typo and this page is semi-protected. Thanks. Fastsince85 (talk) 17:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

done jimfbleak (talk) 05:36, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Disease that makes pelicans chest red

"the pelican used to suffer from a disease that left a red mark on its chest[citation needed]" was in the article. I am the original author. I heard about it on a guided tour of Durham Castle. But as can't find any reference to it this, I've removed is as a probable urban myth. If anyone finds a reference to such a disease, please re-insert the line. Mike Young (talk) 13:26, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

Not a pelican..

The image from the Fuengirola Zoo in Spain on the left under Reproduction is not a pelican. It looks more like a stork of some kind. Someone find a new picture. :) Johnip86 (talk) 08:10, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Please Note

Pelican (R) is also a company which produces specialized carrying cases and lights. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.116.32.206 (talk) 21:51, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

HALO Nerds?

"In the Halo series, the UNSC uses a drop ship named the Pelican."

How does this have anything at all to do with pelicans? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.180.74.205 (talk) 18:57, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Pelican Limerick

Growing up in Australia 50 years ago, I loved pelicans and I remember this limerick:

    What a wonderful bird is the pelican,
    His beak can hold more than his belly can,
    He can hold in his beak
    Enough food for a week,
    But I'm damned if I know how the hell he can.

I don't know where it comes from so I don't think I can add it to the article. Also, I was a bit concerned it is not serious enough for the article, and I have never edited before. Anone else know more about this limerick and thinks it is worth adding to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.108.52.165 (talk) 07:27, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

The last line is sometimes rendered as

"I'm darned if I know how the helican"

to provide an "eye-rhyme". Shrdlu junction (talk) 06:20, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

A marvelous bird is the pelican,
His bill holds more than his bellican.
He can hold in his beak,
Enough food for a week.
I'm damned if I know how the hellican.

I think the author was Ogden Nash

Too Old (talk) 06:15, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

File:PelicanMocheLarcoMuseum.jpg Nominated for Deletion

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pelican for is collaboration for May 2012

Nominated 29 March 2012;

Support:

  1. Casliber (talk · contribs) 07:19, 29 March 2012 (UTC)
  2. MeegsC | Talk 02:06, 5 April 2012 (UTC)
  3. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 03:25, 5 April 2012 (UTC)
  4. Shyamal (talk) 05:37, 5 April 2012 (UTC)
  5. Ornithodiez (talk)--Ornithodiez (talk) 10:53, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

Comments:

To-do list

Right folks, list issues below and we can get cracking....Casliber (talk · contribs) 03:57, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Have added cladogram, but this really needs checking out, tweaking, and maybe removing, by someone who has better technical skills and taxonomic expertise than I do. Maias (talk) 13:11, 4 May 2012 (UTC)
I have put together a rough speciesbox, based on information from the species articles, but it could do with some more input. Maias (talk) 04:09, 2 May 2012 (UTC)
The user Termininja makes great distribution maps.--Ornithodiez (talk) 10:53, 19 May 2012 (UTC)
Definitely, and as a subsection in "Status and conservation".--Ornithodiez (talk) 10:53, 19 May 2012 (UTC)
I have tried to clarify this in the table. All species except the Brown are monotypic, while the Brown Pelican subspecies are, I think, adequately covered in the species article. Maias (talk) 11:48, 19 May 2012 (UTC)
I agree with Maias that might clutter things a bit, I get the impression its subspecies might be very similar to each other as well. Casliber (talk · contribs) 21:10, 19 May 2012 (UTC)
I think that mission out subspecies would be an omission. I recall that one of the subspecies is quite rare, which I think would be worth mentioning. Snowman (talk) 22:19, 20 May 2012 (UTC)
I don't know about the conservation status of the subspecies but I agree that if one of them is threatened it would be worth mentioning in the status and conservation section. Maias (talk) 00:12, 21 May 2012 (UTC)
My problem with subspecies is that if we add a box for each it might make the whole look unbalanced as subspecies of brown pelican will make up a huge chunk of the list....and I am not sure if we have photos of all of them. Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:39, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
  • Damn, looking for overview stuff is tricky - has anyone got Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks? We need to get some overview/general info in. I can't find general comments applicable to all species easily looking thru journals....Casliber (talk · contribs) 13:44, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
I've got HBW1; I'll have a look and see what we can add. MeegsC | Talk 15:59, 28 May 2012 (UTC)

Parasites

Are we going to have a section for parasites? Rothschild lists leeches in vent and sometimes pouch, a specialised feather mite in the pouch, a pouch louse found in all pelicans and New World Cormorants, and bird malaria. Jimfbleak - talk to me? 18:47, 28 May 2012 (UTC)

Also a pdf on parasites of the Am White, and several helminth articles. I'll add what I've got, just need a steer on placement 18:56, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
I'd slot it in as a separate level 3 heading after Breeding. Casliber (talk · contribs) 20:56, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
Is this RS enough? Jimfbleak - talk to me? 06:22, 29 May 2012 (UTC)
Looks like a national newspaper, so I'd say for a pictorial news item it is ok. Casliber (talk · contribs) 20:33, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

predators

I found River Otter Predation on Brown Pelicans, anything else? Jimfbleak - talk to me? 15:37, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Hmmm, pelicans are pretty big - can't imagine many critters predating them...Casliber (talk · contribs) 20:31, 30 May 2012 (UTC)
What about your big crocs? Also potentially vulnerable at nest sites to large carnivores. Jimfbleak - talk to me? 06:05, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Refs

I'm cleaning up refs, need a page number for HBW, also the two Moche refs Jimfbleak - talk to me? 06:42, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Pelican tourism

I haven't seen anything about this globally but there are places like The Entrance, New South Wales where there is local pelican feeding for the tourists - does this occur elsewhere round the world that folks know and is it worth listing a few...or no. Casliber (talk · contribs) 20:58, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

 
Pelican feeding at The Entrance, New South Wales, which has become a tourist attraction.
There are several places around Australia - in most states - where organised feeding of pelicans take place as a tourist attraction. Not sure about elsewhere, though I think Browns are often fed casually around the US coast and, possibly, the Caribbean. It may be worth a mention in the status section. Maias (talk) 03:37, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Opening Sentence

This is complete nonsense: "Pelicans are a genus of large water birds comprising the family Pelecanidae." If you substitute 'including' or 'containing' for 'comprising' (its true synonyms), you'll see what I mean. The family should 'include' or 'contain' the genus, not the other way 'round--right?Cbrodersen (talk) 03:22, 8 November 2014 (UTC)

Yeah...not sure what happened there....will tweak. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 05:50, 8 November 2014 (UTC)

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Is it just me or the bird depicted (mainly judging by the shape and size of its beak) is actually a swan? If someone could please take a closer look. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.91.212.222 (talk) 13:11, 14 February 2020 (UTC)

So much alliteration in the lead

"...predominantly pale plumage, except for the brown and Peruvian pelicans ... The relationship between pelicans and people has often been contentious. The birds have been persecuted because of their perceived competition with commercial and recreational fishing.[4] Their populations . On a more serious note, I think "people"", should be changed to "humans". Pyrrho the Skeptic (talk) 02:54, 2 August 2021 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Deep Sea Biology

  This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 18 January 2022 and 5 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Peer reviewers: Chris7M.

Why is Linnaeus' work mentioned at "Etymology"?

Not sure Linnaeus belongs at "Etymology". Wasn't the name ancient? What did he add to that, the fact that he named a genus comprising several other birds after it? How is that relevant there, rather than at "Taxonomy"? Arminden (talk) 02:09, 6 June 2022 (UTC)