Dalmatian Pelican, Bird, Waterbird, Water Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus is the most massive member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world`s largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans that rival that of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. It is a short to medium distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.