Dalmatian Pelican

The Dalmatian pelican, or curly-headed pelican, is the largest pelican and among the heaviest flying birds in the world, 1.6–1.8m long with a wingspan typically 2.7–3.2m and an average weight of about 9.5kg. The curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing, and the wings look solid grey in flight. In winter adults acquire a drabber plumage that looks more like the great white pelican's (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds across the Palearctic from south-eastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. In the non-breeding season it seeks out ice-free inland waters, such as large lakes in Europe or temporary wetlands known as jheels in India. Its range spans much of Central Eurasia, from the eastern Mediterranean to the Taiwan Strait and from the Persian Gulf to Siberia, and it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant (Wikipedia, general species account).