The Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) is a very large species, weighing up to 15 pounds and reaching up to 5 feet in length with a wingspan of about 7.5 feet, making them significantly larger than the brown pelican. Endemic to the coasts of Peru and Chile, it is closely associated with the Humboldt Current where it hunts the Peruvian anchoveta – a fish in the anchovy family. Peruvian pelicans have a unique hunting strategy of cooperative fishing, where they herd schools of fish towards shallower water to catch them. It then dives from a shallow height or catches fish while swimming on the surface. Often seen in small, sociable groups and mingling with other bird species, it is also seen in Ecuador.
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