Blackpool Zoo Eastern white pelican

[Bele]

According to the latest ISIS listing Blackpool have 1 Eastern white pelican hatched in the last 6 months . Anybody have any more information ?

 

[tetrapod]

According to the latest ISIS listing Blackpool have 1 Eastern white pelican hatched in the last 6 months . Anybody have any more information ?

According to their on-line news they have been sitting. The problem for the group was always an unknown sex ratio and at risk from predators (one was killed by a mink). It was also believed that to breed pelicans a larger group was required.

 

[zoogiraffe]

Well i was their at the weekend didn`t see any sign of nesting or a chick.

 

[Sand Cat]

I was at Blackpool earlier this month and they do indeed have a young pelican! Maybe you didn't see it as it was hand-reared, as I know that's what Longleat normally do with their babies?

Anyway, it was a magnificant brown bird which is now about the same size as the adult birds! The first chick succesfully reared at Blackpool I believe, but hopefully the first of many.

 

[Bele]

That is excellent news - ISIS was right this time ! Have Eastern white pelicans successfully been reared in the UK before ?

 

[JamesB]

you mean by the parents?

 

[Bele]

No generally - I am only aware of pink-backed pelican being bred regularly at Longleat , also in the past at Bristol - but no hatchings of any other pelican species .

 

[bongorob]

I only know of the pink-backed breeding in Britain until now, so I would say it's a UK first for Blackpool.

 

[kiang]

could this be the chick?
blackpool zoo summer 08 051 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[tetrapod]

I only know of the pink-backed breeding in Britain until now, so I would say it's a UK first for Blackpool.

Yes it would be Blackpool's first chick. Have nested before but no eggs. There was uncertainty about the actual sex ratio, but with seven (or nine, cannot remember) birds the odds were that they had several pairs.