Pelican | Meet a Fascinating Animal Every Day 010

Pelicans, also known as Ooze (pronounced “Wu Ze”) or Taohe in some regions, and commonly called pond geese or pouch birds, belong to the order Pelecaniformes in the class Aves.

These large waterbirds are scattered across every continent except Antarctica. Their most distinctive feature is the expandable throat pouch attached to the lower half of the bill, which they use to store food.

Except for the Brown Pelican of the Americas and the Peruvian Pelican, most species are mainly pale in color. Before the breeding season, the exposed skin on their bills, throat pouches, and faces becomes brightly colored.