Great whites arrive at Newquay Zoo

Newquay Zoo has welcomed one of the world’s largest flying birds - the great white pelican.

This species is impressive, to say the least. Its enormous bill and pouch can hold a jaw-dropping 13 litres of water (that’s 22 pints – imagine it in milk bottles). The wingspan can be anything up to 3 metres – that’s about two times as tall as actor Danny DeVito. And their weight can be up to 15 kilos – equivalent to a healthy three-year old child.

Found mainly in Africa, India and south eastern Europe, they typically inhabit large fresh water savannah lakes, wetlands and marshes. They are mostly white with contrasting black flight feathers and a brightly coloured yellow and azure blue bill. During breeding season, you may also notice a slight pink colouration to their feathers.

The Cornish charity zoo has previously homed these impressive birds and is excited about reintroducing them to the collection. Newquay Zoo’s Senior Bird Keeper Gary Ward: ‘At the moment they are still getting used to their surroundings, so they are a little nervous. However, we’re hoping that once they’re more confident we can offer feeding experiences so that guests can get up close and see how incredibly, amazingly magnificent these birds really are!’