Pelican beak !

Don’t miss the finger nail shaped curved structure at the toe of the beak !!

 

Pelicans are  large aquatic soaring birds- they are migratory water birds that feed on fishes.   The one pictured here has definitive basic white  plumage, proximal end of upper mandible pale yellow and orange nail at tip buff.   

All pelicans have a massive long beak.  They beak   has an upper mandible (top half of its beak) and a lower mandible (lower half of its beak) and can  grow to 47 centimetres (19 inches) in length.  At the tip of the upper mandible is a hook, called a crochet or a bill-tip. The crochet helps the pelican grip onto slippery fish to eat. A pelican catches large fish with its crochet, tosses it into the air, and lets it slide down the gullet of its open mouth.  

கூழைக்கடா (Pelican) என்பது (பெலிக்கனிடே) குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு பறவை. இப்பறவையை மத்தாளி அல்லது மத்தாளிக் கொக்கு என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர். கூழைக்கடாக்கள் பறக்கும் பறவைகளில் மிகப் பெரிய நீர்ப் பறவை.  

A pelican crossing,  (PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled), is a type of pedestrian crossing with traffic signals for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic, activated by call buttons for pedestrians, with the walk signal being directly across the road from the pedestrian.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
18.11.2023