Peruvian Pelican
Pelecanus thagus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyPelecanidae (Pelicans)
- GenusPelecanus (Pelicans)
- SpeciesPelecanus thagus (Peruvian Pelican)
The Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) is a member of the pelican family. It lives on the west coast of South America, breeding in loose colonies from about 33.5 degrees south in central Chile to Piura in northern Peru, and occurring as a visitor in southern Chile and Ecuador. It used to be considered a subspecies of the brown pelican. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pelican sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 116 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Machalilla National Park
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Cocoi Heron
Ardea cocoi
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paracas National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Peruvian Pelican in Machalilla National Park?
About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pelican sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 116 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Peruvian Pelican in Machalilla National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Peruvian Pelican in Machalilla National Park in our monthly data.