Recently, bird watching enthusiasts in Zhaotong City observed a large, gray-white water bird while photographing water birds at Yongfeng Reservoir in Zhaoyang District. After reviewing the literature and asking experts to identify it, it was confirmed that the large water bird is the curly-feathered pelican, a national first-level protected wild animal. This is also the first time that this species has been recorded in Yunnan.
The curly-feathered pelican is a large wading bird of the genus Pelican in the order Pelicanidae. It has a body length of about 180 cm and is gray-white in color. The occipital feathers are extended and curled, and the beak is straight and wide. According to its migration and distribution range, this species is mainly distributed in the coastal areas and inland lakes, rivers and swamps of southeastern Europe, northern Africa and eastern Asia. It mainly feeds on fish, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians, etc. At present, this species has been listed as a national first-level protected wild animal and listed as a near-threatened species by the "International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species".
The rare bird curly-feathered pelican observed in Zhaotong this time is suspected to have lost its way after breaking away from its own group during the spring migration, and then followed other migratory birds to settle here. (Yunnan Daily reporter Shen Xun and correspondents Wu Taiping and Li Shijun)
