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The Chatty Pelican


The Chatty Pelican
Photo Information
Copyright: Mike Schwebag (SchwebagMike) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 53 W: 0 N: 53] (441)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-01-14
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 350D, Canon EF 100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Amnéville Zoo [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-16 3:53
Viewed: 5344
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Dalmatian Pelican, captured during my recent excursion to the Amnéville Zoo.

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia to China in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a crude heap of vegetation.

It is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 170 cm (67 inches) in length, 11 kg (24 lbs.) in weight and just over 3 m (10 feet) in wingspan. It differs from the White Pelican in that it has curly nape feathers, grey legs and greyish-white (rather than pure white plumage). It has a red lower mandible in the breeding season. Immatures are grey and lack the pink facial patch of immature White Pelicans. The latter also has darker flight feathers.

This pelican migrates short distances. In flight, it is an elegant soaring bird, with the flock moving in synchrony. The neck is then held back like a heron's.

As is well known, pelicans catch fish in their huge bill pouches, most, like this species, while swimming at the surface.

Like the White Pelican, this species has declined greatly through habitat loss and persecution. As of 1994, there are around 1,000 breeding pairs in Europe, most of them in Russia, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. The European Union has therefore launched an EU action plan for the Dalmatian Pelican.

The Dalmatian Pelican is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Source and more: wiki
patrickb, hester has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To lindasantoro: Cropping and TSFSchwebagMike 1 01-17 01:37
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • raoul (56)
  • [2007-01-16 7:13]

N'ayant pas réussi à en faire une d'un Pélican à bec ouvert, je salue la patience et la maîtrise de la composition.

Hi Mike. I like your shot because of the way you have cropped it, most people would not have cropped it so tight. The detail is very good and crisp. Although his top beak is slightly blurred, maybe due to movement, your DOF is good.
Well done
Regards
Patrick

excellent colors and composition.
Very good sharpness
Great DOF and unfocused background.
A part of the neck is overexposed and upper bill is blurred. None of the two is actually disturbing.
A masterpiece.
TFS

  • Great 
  • badar Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 106 W: 0 N: 160] (785)
  • [2007-01-16 12:13]

Hi Mike,
THe details on this are amazing though id still like to see the entire beak.
TFS
Badruddin Ali

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2007-01-16 13:34]

Hi Mike

Excellent sharp details. I love the textures in the feathers. Nice DOF and great POV

TFS

Karan

Mike - Great shot. I agree that the cropping is good. Wondering what it would look like with the entire beak though.

Oh, and what does TFS mean?

Linda

Fantastic portrait of this pelican. The crop is great, bringing the viewers focus right where the eye and beak meet, suggestive of the chatty description in the title. Great detail and clarity. Well done.

Fantastique image, d'une netteté irréprochable. Ce pélican a une expression intéressante !
Cordialement.
Antoine.

Re-bonjour Mike,

Je suis admirative (et un peu jalouse, j'avoue) devant tant de netteté ! les couleurs sont magnifiques, et j'aime beaucoup l'originalité de la composition.

Bravo et merci

Liliane

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