Great White Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyPelecanidae (Pelicans)
- GenusPelecanus (Pelicans)
- SpeciesPelecanus onocrotalus (Great White Pelican)
The great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), also known as the eastern white pelican (in contrast to the western pelican of the Americas), rosy pelican or simply white pelican, is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes. The great white pelican has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN). It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Annexure I under the EU Birds Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. It is also listed within 108 Special Protection Areas in the European Union. It occurs within 43 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in its European range. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tsavo East National Park
Pink-backed Pelican
Pelecanus rufescens
Black-headed Heron
Ardea melanocephala
African Sacred Ibis
Threskiornis aethiopicus
Hadada
Bostrychia hagedash
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
African Spoonbill
Platalea alba
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Hamerkop
Scopus umbretta
Dimorphic Egret
Egretta dimorpha
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Great White Pelican at Tsavo East National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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