Pelicans are pretty?
No, they are actually pretty silly looking birds.
They have giant bills with a funny pouch that can hold lots of fish.
Unfortunately a mouth crammed with fish is a tempting target for other species. Some birds will peck at a pelican as it is feeding so it can steal food from the pouch.
In the Galapagos, penguins follow pelicans as they feed, because little fish escape the pelican’s bill and are easy picking for the penguins. Sometimes things get nasty, and the penguins go right into the pelican’s mouth and steal its fishes. It seems like a pretty rough deal for the pelicans.
In addition to feeding, pelicans use their pouch for thermo-regulation. When pelicans get too hot, they ripple the pouch, which allows for evaporation and lets the birds cool down.
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