Pelicans | The Baggy Mouths | Birds v.s. Fish
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| ** Pelicans are water birds and mostly depend on marine creatures appearing on earth about and around 30 million years ago...** |
Pelicans comprise of a large group among the water birds that live in or near the water bodies. Having an average wingspan of about 9 feet and a keen observation for movement under the water. They fly above oceans, sea and bays diving and catching fishes as soon as they spot it. They reach speeds up to 64 kmph while diving.
Just seconds before the collision with the surface of the water the bird fold it's wings back and inward and stiffens it's neck and head. Diving at that speeds (40 mph) and colliding with is no small task. It might break your backbone completely even if you twitch a little bit. After crossing the water barrier the bird scoops up a bunch of fish and water along with them.
They have a pouch attached to their lower jaw providing more capacity. This pouch is very elastic, soft and smooth. They can fit more fish in their mouths than their stomachs can hold. These pouches are called "Gular Pouches" and are made up of collagen fibres. These birds can open their jaws sideways too, allowing them to force water outside from the pouch and then swallowing only the fish, whole. They swallow any fish that fits into it's mouth.
They also have a hook at the end of their beaks to help grab larger fish and have better grip. They also have webbed feet, agility while underwater. While just before diving their eyes are covered by a thin water proof membrane called "Nictitating membrane". Also they take large breaths before diving, the excess of inhaled air then flows into and fills up the gaps ( Pneumatic Foramina ) of it's hollow bones. This minimizes the impact of shock as if cushioning and also helps in buoyancy to quickly come out.
Pelicans have special oil producing gland at the base of their tail that coats their feathers and makes them water - resistant. This oil helps keep the feathers dry and prevent them from becoming wet, to take it to the air immediately after the dive.
They also eat other birds' chicks and swallow them wholly while the absence of their parents. They also give partially digested foods to it's babies by regurgitating.
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