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This is Mr Grey - a pink backed pelican from Africa. |
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His beak has many different uses but the main one is as a fishing net. |
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Pelicans are big birds, with big appetites. They need a lot of food. In the wild, Mr Grey would work in co-operation with other pelicans resting on the top of the lakes, and guiding the fish into the shallows of the water before catching them with their beaks. |
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The bottom of the pelican's beak works a bit like this flexible purse. |
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The pouch fills up with water - and hopefully fish too... |
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...and then it squeezes out all of the unwanted water. |
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Then they can adjust the fish so they're pointing downwards into their tummy, and swallow them. |
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Have you ever heard the poem "What a bird is the pelican, his beak can hold more than his belly can"? It's very true. His beak can hold as much as you can see here on the right, but his stomach can only hold that which you can see on the left. |
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Pelicans feed their offspring by regurgitating half-eaten fish from their stomachs into their mouths, allowing the babies to tuck in! |
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Like all birds, pelicans need to keep their feathers in tip-top condition. Mr Grey's beak is an excellent device to help him to do this. He starts by using his beak to squeeze out any excess water, before he starts the preening process. |
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His beak has a hook on the end which is used for fine feather adjustment and tweaking! |
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Although his beak is very long, it's not big enough to reach every part of his body. So what he can't reach with his beak, he preens with his feet! |
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Plus, the beak makes a loud clacking sound which is used as a warning to indicate they're upset. |
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So - the pelican's beak is extremely versatile! |
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