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Bird · Pelecanus philippensis
Spot-billed pelican
IUCN NT · Near threatened
A greyish pelican named for the row of dark spots along the upper mandible. It breeds colonially in tall waterside trees and fishes in long, coordinated lines.
👀 How to recognise it
Size alone gives it away - close to three metres across the wings. Watch for groups drifting and dipping in unison, and for a pouch that turns pinkish before breeding.
Protection
Ousteri: bird sanctuary (Puducherry portion 2008, Tamil Nadu portion 2015); Important Bird Area
Where to see it
Mysore
In several Karnataka and Andhra villages pelican and stork colonies nest inside the village on protected trees and are looked after by residents: a South Indian tradition of village heronries that predates any wildlife law.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary · Kukkarahalli Lake