I thought the stern look of this Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) was a nice photo for Halloween. But they are actually cute and also quite impressive birds with their frizzy head feathers, large orange throat pouch and a wingspan of up to 3.50 meters.

Until the 15th century, we had populations of these pelicans in the Netherlands. They were found mainly in the mouths of the major rivers and in the lakes along the coast. Unfortunately, due to overhunting and destruction of their habitat, they have disappeared.

Many waters are now much cleaner and much richer in fish. It would be nice if this large bird species could return to the Netherlands as a Dutch bird species.

Well, that’s what they’re working on. They are looking at whether populations can be released in certain areas in the Netherlands, especially the lake areas that we know here and there.

Getting wild specimens from somewhere is not such a good plan. There is a good chance that they will fly straight back to their original areas. But where do you get them from? The answer may lie in zoos. There are often enough specimens there to put out. Rotterdam Zoo in Rotterdam, for example, has a thriving colony and even must use ‘birth control’. Together with other zoos, they could release dozens of specimens every year and let them go wild. The idea is that these specimens will then look for suitable areas themselves and will be able to settle in the right suitable area. This can be in the Netherlands or abroad.

So who knows, you might soon see these beautiful birds flying over in search of a suitable area near you!

---

–..– Facebook –..– Instagram –..– Adobe Portfolio –..– Photo albums –..– Nature blog –..–

---