Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)
Pink-backed Pelican

Pink-backed Pelican

Pelecanus rufescens

The Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) is a member of the pelican family, distinguished by its relatively modest size. Adults range from 125 to 155 cm in length, with a wingspan of 2.15 to 2.9 meters, and weigh between 4 to 7 kilograms. The plumage is primarily grey and white, with a subtle pink hue on the back that is never as vivid as that of a flamingo. The bill, measuring 30 to 38 cm, is topped with yellow, and the pouch is typically greyish. During the breeding season, adults may sport elongated feather plumes on their heads.

Identification Tips

To identify the Pink-backed Pelican, look for its grey and white plumage with a possible pinkish tint on the back. The yellow upper bill and greyish pouch are also key features. In comparison to the larger Great White Pelican, which shares its habitat, the Pink-backed Pelican is smaller and has greyish rather than white plumage.

Habitat

This species thrives in a variety of aquatic environments, favoring tranquil backwaters with shallow waters. It is commonly found in freshwater lakes, swamps, large rivers with gentle currents, and seasonal pools. It can also be seen in reservoirs, seasonally flooded lands, and floodplains near river mouths, as well as alkaline and saline lakes and lagoons. Coastal presence is limited to bays and estuaries, as it seldom ventures onto the open seashore.

Distribution

The Pink-backed Pelican is a resident breeder across Africa and southern Arabia. Historically, it was also found in Madagascar, but it has since been extirpated from the island.

Behaviour

This pelican is known to nest colonially in trees, reeds, or low bushes near water bodies, and occasionally on the ground on sandy islands and in mangroves. Nests are constructed close together in nesting trees, which are reused annually until the trees collapse. The species tends to roost in similar environments, including mangroves, sandy islands, cliffs, coral reefs, and sand dunes.

Breeding

The nest of the Pink-backed Pelican is a substantial heap of sticks, situated anywhere from 10 to 50 meters above the ground. The female typically lays two to three large white eggs. Chicks feed by delving deep into the adult's pouch to consume partially digested, regurgitated fish.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Pink-backed Pelican consists mainly of fish, including cichlids like Haplochromis and Tilapia, which can weigh up to 450 grams, though they typically range from 80 to 290 grams. Amphibians also form part of their diet. These pelicans often fish in groups to capture their prey.

Conservation status

The Pink-backed Pelican is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of widespread decline.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Pink-backed Pelicans on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Pelicans

A photo of a Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

Australian Pelican

Pelecanus conspicillatus
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.