SAFRING results

White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus

1. Numbers ringed with SAFRING rings, 1948-2001

• Total ringed: 442
• First ringed: 1950/51 ringing year
• Trapping method: Nestlings, Rehabilitatees; G00039 was recaptured while it was sleeping, H01003 was recaptured accidentally with a fishing line.

Number of White Pelicans ringed per year with SAFRING rings

2. Computerised records, 1975-2001

• Number of records: 414
• Ring sizes used: 1 with S prefix penguin ring, 6 with 26 mm (G), 407 with 34 mm (H) rings
• Recommended ring size: 34 mm Incoloy or Stainless steel (H); G rings were found to be too tight and some pelicans were recaptured to remove these rings.
• Top ringers: 12 ringers; top 5 ringers: Marine & Coastal Management (255), Dr H Berry (60), Dr J Cooper (50), Mr D Day (34), SWA Administration (4)
• Bird age distribution: Unknown (1), Nestling (264), Juvenile (141), Immature (2), Adult (5), 3+ years (1)
• Bird sex distribution: Unknown (413), Female (1)
• Markings: Metal only (158), Metal plus colour rings (256)
• Condition: Good (411), Rehabilitated (1), Artificially reared (1), Released away from capture locality (1)
• Note: the latter 3 categories may be slightly under-represented due to incorrect recording on the schedules or data entry to computer

• Birds ringed per region:

  Locality	n
  Western Cape, South Africa	306
  Namibia	70
  Botswana	34
  KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa	4

Map of localities where White Pelicans have been ringed, 1975-2001

3. Biometrics and moult

Mass data (g) for White Pelicans

Age	n	Min	Mean	Max
Adult	3	6120	7120	8040

Wing length (mm) for White Pelicans

Age	n	Min	Mean	Max
Adult	4	610	623	637

Moult data

No data.

4. Recovery history (SAFRING's database)

• Number of recoveries: 19 recoveries and 13 resightings
• Greatest distance: 209 km (H01022)
• Greatest elapsed time: 30y 1m 22d (H01024)
• Causes of mortality of ringed birds: Accidentally entangled with fishing lines or nets; oiled (H01050); rest unknown.

  H01008 was resighted 5 times, the last time was 27y 10m 20d after ringing.
  The oldest pelican in East Africa was 23y 5m (Urban & Ash 2001).

5. Ringing references

Underhill, LG, Tree, AG, Oschadleus, HD & Parker, V. 1999. Review of Ring Recoveries of Waterbirds in Southern Africa. Cape Town: Avian Demography Unit.

Urban, EK & Ash, JS. 2001. Longevity record of a Great White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus, from Lake Shala, Ethiopia. Ostrich 72:123

6. Research

Read more about the White Pelican: Species text and Colour-ringing project

Expeditions to ring White Pelican chicks on Dassen Island:
January 2002
November 2002
January 2003