Pelecanus rufescens

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	Pelecaniformes	Pelecanidae

Scientific Name:

Pelecanus rufescens

Species Authority:

Gmelin, 1789

Common Name/s:

English	–	Pink-backed Pelican
French	–	Pélican Gris

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Evaluator/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.(BirdLife International)

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern
2000	–	Lower Risk/least concern
1994	–	Lower Risk/least concern
1988	–	Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Regionally extinct: Madagascar Vagrant: Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Poland

Countries:

Native:

Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Regionally extinct:

Madagascar

Vagrant:

Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Poland

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species makes little known⁷ dispersive movements^{1, 3} related to water conditions^{1, 2}. It is locally nomadic in southern Africa in response to changing wetland conditions⁶, and western African populations make northward movements into sub-Saharan steppe during the wet season, returning southwards in the dry season^{1, 2, 4}. The species breeds all year round, although most start late in the wet season^{1, 3, 4}. It is gregarious both during breeding and non-breeding⁵, nesting in small groups or larger loose colonies of between 20 and 500 pairs^{1, 2, 7} (often alongside other species^{3, 5}). It roosts nocturnally in groups⁴, but is more of a solitary feeder, preferring to fish singly or in small loose groups of less than 30 individuals^{3, 4, 5}. It is chiefly diurnally active, especially during the morning and evening, although it may also fish on moonlit nights^{2, 5}. Habitat The species inhabits a wide range of aquatic habitats, but prefers to feed in quiet backwaters and weed-grown lagoons¹ where there is shallow water and emergent vegetation⁵, generally avoiding steep, vegetated lake margins³. It shows a preference for freshwater lakes, swamps, large slow-flowing rivers, and seasonal pools^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, but also frequents reservoirs^{2, 4}, seasonally flooded land³ and flood-plains near river mouths⁷. It may occur on alkaline and saline lakes and lagoons^{2, 3, 4, 5}, and can sometimes be found along the coast in bays¹ and estuaries^{2, 3, 5} (although seldom on open seashore)^{2, 3}. The species tends to roost and breed in trees (e.g. mangroves), but will also roost on sandy islands, cliffs, coral reefs and sand-dunes¹. Nesting trees are often killed by repeated nesting, which forces breeding colonies to move (although birds will usually not move far)^{1, 2}. Diet The diet of this species consists entirely of fish (of any size up to 450 g, although usually in the range of 80-290 g)³, with cichlids (especially Haplochromis and Tilapia) being preferred^{1, 2, 3, 4}. Breeding site The species nests colonially in trees, reeds or low bushes along waterfronts^{1, 2, 3} as well as (less often) on the ground on sandy islands and in mangroves^{1, 3}. The nest is small and constructed of sticks¹, and may be situated at elevations of 10-50 m above the ground⁴. A single tree may contain many nests³ that can be very close together (often touching)⁷, and a single pair will refurbish and re-use the same nest from year to year if it has not collapsed³.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species makes little known⁷ dispersive movements^{1, 3} related to water conditions^{1, 2}. It is locally nomadic in southern Africa in response to changing wetland conditions⁶, and western African populations make northward movements into sub-Saharan steppe during the wet season, returning southwards in the dry season^{1, 2, 4}. The species breeds all year round, although most start late in the wet season^{1, 3, 4}. It is gregarious both during breeding and non-breeding⁵, nesting in small groups or larger loose colonies of between 20 and 500 pairs^{1, 2, 7} (often alongside other species^{3, 5}). It roosts nocturnally in groups⁴, but is more of a solitary feeder, preferring to fish singly or in small loose groups of less than 30 individuals^{3, 4, 5}. It is chiefly diurnally active, especially during the morning and evening, although it may also fish on moonlit nights^{2, 5}. Habitat The species inhabits a wide range of aquatic habitats, but prefers to feed in quiet backwaters and weed-grown lagoons¹ where there is shallow water and emergent vegetation⁵, generally avoiding steep, vegetated lake margins³. It shows a preference for freshwater lakes, swamps, large slow-flowing rivers, and seasonal pools^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, but also frequents reservoirs^{2, 4}, seasonally flooded land³ and flood-plains near river mouths⁷. It may occur on alkaline and saline lakes and lagoons^{2, 3, 4, 5}, and can sometimes be found along the coast in bays¹ and estuaries^{2, 3, 5} (although seldom on open seashore)^{2, 3}. The species tends to roost and breed in trees (e.g. mangroves), but will also roost on sandy islands, cliffs, coral reefs and sand-dunes¹. Nesting trees are often killed by repeated nesting, which forces breeding colonies to move (although birds will usually not move far)^{1, 2}. Diet The diet of this species consists entirely of fish (of any size up to 450 g, although usually in the range of 80-290 g)³, with cichlids (especially Haplochromis and Tilapia) being preferred^{1, 2, 3, 4}. Breeding site The species nests colonially in trees, reeds or low bushes along waterfronts^{1, 2, 3} as well as (less often) on the ground on sandy islands and in mangroves^{1, 3}. The nest is small and constructed of sticks¹, and may be situated at elevations of 10-50 m above the ground⁴. A single tree may contain many nests³ that can be very close together (often touching)⁷, and a single pair will refurbish and re-use the same nest from year to year if it has not collapsed³.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is threatened by habitat loss in KwaZulu-Natal, as many suitable pans and flood-plains are being altered through drainage and cultivation, and the natural flooding regime of pans in the Pongolo system has been altered by the Jozini Dam⁶. In southern Africa disturbance of the species is increasing at estuaries as these areas become more intensively used and developed⁶. The species is also susceptible to bioaccumulation of toxins in their body tissue, which may lead to a decline in reproductive success⁶. Destruction of nesting trees due to logging activities may be a local problem⁷.

Major Threat(s):

This species is threatened by habitat loss in KwaZulu-Natal, as many suitable pans and flood-plains are being altered through drainage and cultivation, and the natural flooding regime of pans in the Pongolo system has been altered by the Jozini Dam⁶. In southern Africa disturbance of the species is increasing at estuaries as these areas become more intensively used and developed⁶. The species is also susceptible to bioaccumulation of toxins in their body tissue, which may lead to a decline in reproductive success⁶. Destruction of nesting trees due to logging activities may be a local problem⁷.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Pelecanus rufescens. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009.
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