Information
A
pelican can live for 30 years under perfect conditions,
but this seldom happens in the wild. The average lifespan
of a pelican has been cut in half over the past 35 years.
Occasionally a pelican is caught by a raccoon, an alligator
or a shark, but his greatest enemy is man. Nine out
of ten pelicans are injured or killed by fishing line.
Many are also harmed by fishermen who are careless with
their hooks or netting, and by speed boats, jet skis,
pesticides, pollution and plastics. In flight, white
pelicans are a spectacular sight. Almost always in groups,
they fly gracefully in precisely spaced lines or formations,
flapping slowly in unison half a dozen times, then gliding,
then flapping and gliding again. They fly with the neck
held back against the shoulders, and the bill resting
against the breast.
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