Spot-billed Pelican

The spot-billed pelican, or grey pelican, is fairly small for a pelican but still one of the largest birds in the southern part of its range: 125–152cm long with a wingspan of 213–250cm and a weight of 4.1–6kg. It is mainly white with a grey crest of curly feathers on the hindneck and a brownish tail. The pink to purplish pouch and the sides of the upper bill are marked with large pale spots, and the bill tip is yellow to orange. At close range the spots, lack of bright colours and greyer plumage separate it from other pelicans (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large shallow lakes. It is not migratory but moves locally, and in some areas it nests in large colonies close to human settlements. It has no subspecies. In India it is resident with a moderate range. SoIB 2023 finds its long-term trend stable but a current fall of about 5% a year, and rates it a Moderate conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).