Pelicans are large birds with large pouched bills. The smallest is the Brown Pelican (P. occidentalis), small
individuals of which can be as little as 2.75 kg (6 lb), 106 cm (42 in) long and can have a wingspan of as little as 1.83 m
(6 ft). The largest is believed to be the Dalmatian Pelican (P. crispus), at up to 15 kg (33 lb), 183 cm (72 in) long, with
a maximum wingspan of 3 meters (nearly 10 foot). The Australian Pelican has the longest bill of any bird.
Pelicans swim well with their short, strong legs and their feet with all four toes webbed (as in all birds placed in the order
Pelecaniformes). The tail is short and square, with 20 to 24 feathers. The wings are long and have the unusually large number
of 30 to 35 secondary flight feathers. A layer of special fibers deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal
for gliding and soaring. Thus they can exploit thermals to commute over 150 km (93 mi) to feeding areas.
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