Vertebrate Zoology: A Study Guide - T. A. Dauda 2014

Metazoa
Class Aves
Superorder Carinatae – Order Pelecaniformes

The order Pelecaniformes comprises medium-sized (cormorants) to large (pelicans) aquatic birds. They have a robust build and short legs with fully webbed toes. Their bill is long, featuring a more or less distensible, bare gular Skin pouch situated between the rami of the lower Mandible, and terminates in a sharp hook. Pelecaniforms typically nest in colonies. They are monogamous, and both parents participate in feeding the chicks.

Two species of pelicans are found in our country: the great white pelican (often simply called the white or pink pelican) and the Dalmatian pelican, the latter distinguished by a prominent curly crest on its HEAD. Pelicans are large birds weighing up to 12 kg. The plumage of adult birds is white, with a pinkish hue in the pink pelican. They inhabit the shores of the Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas, as well as the banks of major rivers and lakes in the Caucasus and Central Asia. They most commonly nest among reed beds and cane thickets. While they are exceptional swimmers, they are unable to dive. Their diet consists of fish, which they catch in shallow waters. Occasionally, when fishing, they form a long line and—churning the Water with loud beats of their powerful wings—swim toward the shore, herding schooling fish into the shallows. Cormorants frequently join these cooperative fishing efforts, driving the fish upward from below.

Cormorants are represented by six species in our country. Their body length ranges from 55 to 90 cm, with a mass of 800–3000 g. Their legs are set far back on the body. When perched, a cormorant holds its body almost vertically, supported by a long tail made of stiff feathers, and it is an exceptional diver. Cormorants build their nests primarily on cliffs and in trees. They are distributed nearly everywhere. The most widespread is the great cormorant, which inhabits large lakes, the lower reaches of major rivers, and marine coasts—ranging from the south of Ukraine and Murmansk to the Russian Far East. The plumage of adult birds is black, accented by a white throat patch. Their feeding behavior is quite unique: the parents open their mouths wide, and the chicks thrust their heads deep inside to retrieve semi-digested fish directly from the adults' distensible gullets.

Pelicans are protected by the state. In certain areas, cormorants are hunted for their skins, and their meat is sometimes utilized, although it is of relatively low quality.