Peruvian Pelican

Pelecanus thagus Molina, 1782

Pelecanidae — Pelicans

Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus, is a pelican of the coastal strip from northern Peru to central Chile in South America. It breeds in large colonies along the shore and is also recorded as a visitor farther south in Chile and in Ecuador. It is a dark bird with a pale line running from the bill to the crown and along the neck, and it carries long crest feathers on the head. It was once treated as part of the Brown Pelican.

Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Pelecanidae — Pelicans
Breeding range: South America: coastal n Peru to c Chile