According to Dubai Safari Park’s principal wildlife specialist Dr Reza Khan, the Dalmatian Pelican, a rare bird has been spotted for the 4th time in the last 50 years in the UAE. It is the largest member of the pelican family and the world’s largest freshwater bird.
“Dalmatian Pelican is a very large wetland bird. It has been sighted only three times between December 1970 and up to October 6 this year. The fourth bird was sighted by Sami Majeed and others on October 7 in a small dam lake near Kalba in Sharjah’s east coast,” said Dr Khan.
“I had spent time watching the pelican from 2 pm to 4 pm. During this period, the bird was in my contact for 66 minutes. Then it vanished from the site for 54 minutes,” said Dr Khan.
“Of the 66 minutes I observed it, the pelican spent nearly 20 minutes in feeding by catching Tilapia fish from the lake. It spent nearly 10 minutes swimming and changing perches three times. In water, it would open its huge bills and a very large baggy gullet and jab into the water, possibly, aiming at fishes. At least two out of five attempts it appeared to be successful. After getting a fish in the bills, it will raise these, shake the gullet so that the fish or fishes run down the throat to the crop of the pelican.
“When on the perches, the pelican tried to preen its feathers and take rest. Between 2 pm and 2.36 pm, the pelican was inside the lake. Then suddenly it flew, crossed the nearby hill and headed for the coastal areas in Kalba. It reappeared at 3.30 pm and stayed till 4 pm in the lake fishing and taking rest,” Dr Khan added.
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