Great white Pelican

Shirvan National Park

A species of bird belonging to the Pelican family of the Pelicanidae order of the Birds class. It winters in the coastal waters of the Caspian Sea, in the Bays of Boyuk and Kichik Gizylagach, in the water basins of the Kur-Araz and Samur-Devechi lowlands. It is a rare species. The general color background is white with a pinkish tint, the tips of the wings are black. There is a small crest on the head. It folds its neck back when swimming in the water. Its body length is 135-175 cm, the length of the beak is 29.0-47.0 cm, and the length of the wings when spread is 270-360 cm. Depending on the severity of the winter, sharp increases and decreases in its number are recorded. It settles in the shallow parts of large water basins rich in fish, nests in reeds and bushes. It is a wintering and passing bird. It flies in October-December and leaves in March-April.