Pelecanus fuscus; Print; Pelican; Pelicans are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterised by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. They have predominantly pale plumage; the exceptions being the brown and Peruvian pelicans. The bills; pouches; and bare facial skin of all species become brightly coloured before the breeding season. The eight living pelican species have a patchy global distribution; ranging latitudinally from the tropics to the temperate zone; though they are absent from interior South America and from polar regions and the open ocean.; 1700-1880