Pelican's Pouch: The Secret to an Airborne Fish Catch

Remarkable footage captured off the coast of Namibia shows a great white pelican making an unexpected midair catch, snagging a flying fish as it leaped from the ocean. This rare event underscores the specialized feeding adaptations of pelicans, particularly their large and flexible gular pouches.

The pelican's expandable throat pouch, a membrane of skin stretching between the lower parts of its bill, acts as a scoop. This allows the bird to efficiently capture moving prey, whether submerged or briefly airborne, before draining water and swallowing the fish whole.

While great white pelicans usually hunt by scooping fish from the water's surface or through cooperative herding, this airborne capture is particularly noteworthy. It demonstrates how their familiar feeding tools can be surprisingly effective in unusual circumstances.

These pelicans are found across parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia, frequenting coastal waters and inland wetlands. Although classified as Least Concern globally, regional populations face threats like pollution and habitat disturbance, with Namibia's assessments noting concerns over changing water levels and limited breeding sites.