A GREAT white pelican was flying about in Norfolk yesterday, and was seen in many places from Blakeney Harbour to Snettisham. This spectacular creature — one of the largest flying birds in the world — has never been recorded as a wild bird in Britain, and is not on the official British list of the British Ornithologists’ Union. It is found from Eastern Europe to Mongolia, and all over Africa. The origin of yesterday’s bird is not known. It has very probably escaped from a private collection. Nevertheless, it could be a migrant that has strayed on its way south from some eastern breeding place.
Great white pelicans feed by scooping up several litres of water into their pouch, then squeezing it out and keeping any fish that are left behind. They feed in groups, surrounding a shoal of fish and all plunging their beaks into the water simultaneously. They often breed in colonies of 40,000 to 50,000 pairs.
Another large white bird that has been seen over several lakes and reservoirs in England in the past few days is the osprey, a powerfully built fish-hawk. These are probably birds that nested this summer in Scotland.
DJM