The Dalmatian or curly pelican, a species that had been listed for long as globally vulnerable, was recently reclassified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as nearly threatened, an upgrade that comes as a result of sustained Europe-wide conservation efforts.
The curly pelican is related to the common pelican, but differs from it by the frizzy feathers on the back of the neck that conferred its commonly known name of 'curly'. When in nuptial plumage, the bird's gular pouch becomes intense orange-red, as highlighted by the black beak, and the feathers on the back of the neck become larger.
"The Dalmatian pelicans can be seen in the Delta in wintertime too. In January - February they are decked out in their breeding plumage and are at the peak of their beauty. Some nature photography enthusiasts have getting pictures of the Dalmatian pelicans on their to-do list, and we help them with that and provide them the opportunity to take photos of the birds in their top-elegant plumage, without disturbing them," Iliuta Goean, a travel agency manager, told AGERPRES.
With a wingspan of up to 3.4 meters and weighing 10 to 13 kilograms, the curly pelican is one of the largest flying birds in the world and can be seen during mild winters in the Danube Delta.
According to experts from the Danube Delta National Research and Development Institute (INCDDD), the curly pelican nests in small colonies or isolated pairs in the Delta Reserve.
The species is strictly protected, having been declared a monument of nature in 1933, but was effectively put under protection in 1955.
"Surveillance flights carried out between 2006 and 2009 showed that the number of nesting pairs in the largest colony in the Danube Delta, the one on Lake Lejai, has dropped compared to 2001 - 2003; the curly pelican population is currently estimated at around 350 nesting pairs in the entire Reserve," according to information provided by INCDDD.
Dalmatian pelican colonies live on lake islands, in the delta and the lagoon area, preferring swaths surrounded by reeds. According to recent data, there are five such pelican colonies in Romania, which build their nests on compact floating reed islets, fixed beds of sedge or solid ground islands.
"In Romania, the nesting season starts in February and ends in July. Incubation begins with the laying of the first egg, which usually happens in March. The species is particularly sensitive to the disturbance caused by human activities during the formation of pairs and egg-laying, and repeated such interference during this period may result in the abandonment of the colony," INCDDD shows.
Dalmatian pelicans eat only fish and hunt alone or in small groups of two or three individuals. The fish is caught in the pouch which is used as a scoop net. The daily food requirement is estimated at one, two kilograms of fish for an adult.
The Dalmatian pelican is a partially migratory species. Outside of the nesting period, the European population is dispersed in wetlands, lakes, lagoons and rivers in the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the western Black Sea, including along the former floodplain of the Danube. The birds in Romania usually start leaving their nesting territories in September, but sometimes even in mid-August. Recent monitoring by INCDDD's expert teams has found that in years with mild winters, 200-300 individuals winter in the perimeter of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
"Although the main wintering territories are considered to be in Greece and Turkey, some birds spend the winter on continental waters, in wet areas, along the big rivers (the Danube), relying on the persistence of unfrozen water bodies, available food and suitable undisturbed resting places to survive. The monitoring conducted over 2006 - 2009 and the data obtained from three juvenile curly pelicans hailing from the Danube Delta which were fitted with satellite transmitters in 2006 and in 2008 showed that the preferred locations, including in October and November, are along the river, where birds sometimes flock in high numbers. The wetlands along the lower Danube were once home to Dalmatian pelican colonies and are key feeding sites for these birds after the nesting period," the INCDDD representatives explain.
Comentează