Pink-backed Pelican

The Pink-backed Pelican is a modestly sized member of the pelican family found across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula, generally less gregarious and more solitary in its habits than some of its larger relatives.

Appearance

Adults are pale grayish overall, with a subtle pink tinge visible on the back in good light, and a shaggy crest of feathers on the crown and nape. The bill and pouch are yellowish-gray, and the legs are yellowish. The pink tone can be difficult to see and varies with lighting and individual condition.

Key field marks

• Smaller and grayer overall than Great White Pelican
• Faint pink wash on the back, though often subtle
• Shaggy crest on the head
• Yellowish-gray bill and pouch, duller than the brighter pouches of some other pelicans

Similar species

Great White Pelican is larger and whiter with bare pink facial skin, not a pink back. Spot-billed Pelican, found in Asia rather than Africa, has a spotted bill pattern absent in Pink-backed Pelican. Range alone often separates this species from most other pelicans it might be confused with.

Habitat and range

Pink-backed Pelicans inhabit freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal lagoons across much of sub-Saharan Africa, with additional populations along the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.

Migration

The species is largely resident or makes local, nomadic movements in response to water levels and food availability rather than undertaking long-distance seasonal migration. It often occurs in smaller numbers or singly, unlike the dense colonies typical of some other pelican species.

Behavior

Pink-backed Pelicans forage for fish individually or in small groups, less often forming the large coordinated fishing lines seen in Great White Pelicans, and may also feed at night in some areas.

Voice

Adults are generally silent away from the nest, with low grunting calls given during breeding interactions.

Nesting and breeding

They nest colonially, often in trees near water, building a stick platform nest, sometimes alongside herons, storks, or cormorants in mixed-species colonies. Typically two to three eggs are laid, with both parents sharing incubation and chick care.