Li Yansheng, a photographer of Nantong Bird Enthusiast Photography Association, was surprised to spot two white pelicans while shooting winter migratory birds in Rudong coastal beach days ago. This is the first time that a white pelican has been recorded in the wild in Nantong. The white pelican is a national first-level wild animal under key protection.
At more than 3:00 p.m. on December 24, photographer Li Yansheng found two larger birds among a group of water birds in Liubu Fishing Port, Rudong County.
“They constantly shuttled between herons and seagulls”, Li Yansheng said, “the heron just emerged from the water after catching the fish, and was snatched away by the white pelicans. The two birds have big mouths”.
After careful observation, Li Yansheng recognized these two white pelicans. The pelican has a large body and a large mouth, with a body length of 140-175 cm. Its wings can spread up to 3 meters, making it one of the heaviest birds with flying ability.
Li Yansheng said that according to the living habits of white pelicans, these two should be a couple. Rudong is on the main passage for migratory birds. These two rest here to replenish their energy and then fly further south.
At noon that day, another photographer also photographed two white pelicans in the coastal wetland of Dongling, Rudong County.
“We found that their two pairs of white pelicans are different in shape through photo comparison”, Xin Yu, an engineer of Jiangsu Nantong Environmental Monitoring Center said “They are not the same two, but four white pelicans in total”.
White pelicans live in lakes, rivers, coastal areas and marshes, often in groups. In China, white pelicans are generally found in Xinjiang and Qinghai, and rarely found in inland and eastern coastal wetlands.
Xin Yu said that the pelican is very big, and the white pelican is the largest one among pelicans. After checking the relevant data, no record was reported in Nantong.
