Pelicans - smallest breeding flock in zoos/parks?

[Jana]

Have you ever seen or read about a pelican flock of only 2 or 3 birds that reproduced?

Pelicans normally breed in colonies of at least several pairs. A recommended size for breeding flocks in zoos is 4 pairs (or more). But what is the smallest flock of pelicans that ever successfully bred? 4?

This is a recent pic from a small Ohrada Zoo (Czech rep.) and it shows their complete pelican colony. Two pairs and the offsping from this year. There are no other pelicans at the zoo and chicks are normally send off to other parks after reaching independence in the autumn. The colony of only two pairs is successfully breeding the third or fourth consecutive season in this exhibit.

 

[FBBird]

Pelicans

I'm sure I've seen an aticle in an old International Zoo Yearbook about a pair of Northern Brown Pelicans [at Houston?] breeding as a single pair.

 

[Jana]

I'm sure I've seen an aticle in an old International Zoo Yearbook about a pair of Northern Brown Pelicans [at Houston?] breeding as a single pair.

Interesting, I´ll try to find the article.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Jana, another example is Antwerpen (allthough admittedly the rosy pelicans were sent over temporarily into a larger Dalmatian flock at Planckendael). Now back at Antwerpen Zoo the flock is 2.1.2 (0.0.2 bred this year).