Dalmatian pelican

How they shape the landscape

Dalmatian pelicans are perfectly equipped for their fish-based diet. They paddle along the water’s surface with their unusual giant bill, sticking their head underwater to scoop up fish. They can consume around 1.2kg of fish per day and supplement this with crustaceans, worms, beetles and eggs from small water birds [1]. Compared to other species of pelicans, the Dalmatian pelican doesn’t fish in groups [2].

The Dalmatian pelican could become an ambassador for wetland restoration in Britain. Their presence indicates healthy and interconnected wetlands, lakes and marshy habitats [3]. Supporting the return of this indicator species would encourage the large-scale restoration and protection of wetland habitats, which indirectly benefits a range of other rare species, such as the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) [4].

In Europe, healthy populations of Dalmatian pelicans draw nature enthusiasts, boosting tourism and supporting local economies [5]. Their unique courtship rituals, featuring dramatic bill-clattering and head-bobbing, are an unforgettable spectacle that attracts tourists.

Where they like to be

These giant silvery-white birds thrive in freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes and rivers. They prefer open water with extensive flooded and shallow water areas for feeding and isolated spots with dense, floating vegetation for breeding. In their natural range, pelicans likely coexisted with beavers, which are excellent at creating wetlands and would help maintain the conditions that pelicans and various fish species need to thrive.

Their nests are typically built on islands in lagoons and river deltas or on reedbeds. A pair of Dalmatian pelicans bond for life and once they’ve built their nest, they often return to the same breeding site year after year. Even though Dalmatian pelicans are less social than other pelican species, their breeding sites may contain over 250 nests [6].

How much space they need

Dalmatian pelicans require well-connected, well-sized wetlands and river deltas, where they can access a steady supply of fish and be protected from hunting. They were once very common in Britain’s two largest freshwater wetland systems, namely the Somerset Levels and East Anglian Fens [7].

In general, Dalmatian pelicans favour relatively warm temperatures. In colder parts of Europe, pelicans migrate towards warmer regions with ice-free bodies of water during the winter. In southern Britain, we’re unlikely to reach temperatures cold enough to prompt this behaviour.

Background story

Britain was once home to the Dalmatian pelican, one of the planet’s biggest and heaviest flying birds. According to fossil records, they were very common in Somerset, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire [2]. From fossil finds we know they were still flying in Somerset during Roman times.

This native species was gradually driven to extinction in Britain due to a combination of wetland drainage (undertaken by our ancestors to create new farmland) and human disturbance [7]. Hunting is also known to have taken place and likely to have contributed to their decline.

Today in Britain the Dalmatian pelican is a rare visitor from southeastern Europe [8]. The remaining global population of the Dalmatian pelican consists of around 20,000 individuals globally, with about half this population existing in Europe [6].

Can we have them in Britain?

Yes, Dalmatian pelicans can return to Britain. Their reintroduction will require large-scale wetland rewilding and increased public awareness. Successful rewilding efforts have reversed pelican population declines in Europe – such as in the Danube Delta and Greece. We can learn from those projects to help these iconic birds return to our skies.

With their nearest breeding sites some 2000 km away (in Europe), Dalmatian pelicans are unlikely to return on their own [9, 10]. Through the Rewilding Innovation Fund, we’re supporting the Pelicans to Norfolk project, which is collaborating with a Dutch reintroduction project to understand how we might establish a breeding colony in England. The Somerset Levels may also be suitable for a future reintroduction. 

To further support their reintroduction, we need to restore our freshwater habitats, reduce human disturbance in those areas and increase public support for their return.