Pelecanus thagus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) is a member of the pelican family. It lives on the west coast of South America, breeding in loose colonies from about 33.5 degrees south in central Chile to Piura in northern Peru, and occurring as a visitor in southern Chile and Ecuador. It used to be considered a subspecies of the brown pelican.
These birds are dark in colour with a white stripe from the top of the bill up to the crown and down the sides of the neck. They have long tufted feathers on the top of their heads. It was previously considered a subspecies of the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). The Peruvian pelican is considerably larger, ranging from about 5 to 7 kg (11–15 lb) in weight, 137 to 152 cm (4.5–5.0 ft) in length and with a wingspan of about 228 cm (7.5 ft). Compared to the brown pelican, it also has proportionally longer crest feathers, as well as differences in the colours of the gular pouch, beak, scapulars and greater wing coverts.
The main breeding season occurs from September to March. Clutch size is usually two or three eggs. Eggs are incubated for approximately 4 to 5 weeks, with the rearing period lasting...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paracas National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Pan de Azúcar National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Zoo de Doué | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Parque Safari | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 6 | Parque de las Leyendas | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 7 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 8 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pelican sighting in Paracas National Reserve on a given day, based on 959 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 84 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and July
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pelican in Paracas National Reserve on a given day, against about 60% in October, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Peruvian Pelican sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Peruvian Pelican sightings, Paracas National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Pan de Azúcar National Park (Chile, about 40%) and Machalilla National Park (Ecuador, about 20%).
Same order: Pelecaniformes
The closest relatives of the Peruvian Pelican that you can see in Paracas National Reserve (order Pelecaniformes, Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies) are Snowy Egret (about 60%), Black-crowned Night Heron (about 30%) and Little Blue Heron (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Peruvian Pelican is recorded against all the birds logged in Paracas National Reserve (959 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
