130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

4.7. Dalmatian pelican
Pelecanus crispus
Summary
Table 1.
Global IUCN Red List
status [10] , European
population and SPEC
status [11] and EU
population status [12]
of the Dalmatian
pelican.
The Dalmatian pelican is a globally threatened
species, which suffered large declines in the last
centuries due to habitat loss and degradation and
persecution. In Europe the species has shown a
remarkable recovery, especially in Greece, where
it has benefitted from targeted conservation
efforts and the most complete implementation
of the European Species Action Plan. However,
enforcement of protection legislation remains
poor in most countries, while birds are still under
threat from disturbance, overhead power lines and
habitat degradation.
Background
Scale Status Justification
Global Vulnerable (since 2004;
considered Lower
Risk/Conservation
Dependent in 2000,
Vulnerable in 1994 and
Threatened in 1988)
General description of the species
The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the
largest species of pelican and one of the largest bird
species in the world [1] . It is globally threatened and
Europe Rare (SPEC 1) Small population size.
EU25
Rare
Rapid population declines outside the species’
range in Europe are suspected to be continuing.
listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (Table 1),
with a global population of 4,000 – 5,000 breeding
pairs, the majority of which breed in the former
USSR, Kazakhstan in particular [2, 3] . The largest
known colony of Dalmatian pelicans is in Lake
Mikri Prespa in north Greece, while the Danube
Delta in Romania is also a key site for the species [3]
(see also Table 2).
Dalmatian pelicans feed exclusively on fish, and
tend to forage up to 190km away from the breeding
colony singly or in small groups [4] . Diet composition
varies according to the relative abundance
and distribution of prey species [4] . Communal
fishing with cormorants (Phalacrocorax) has been
recorded in Greece [5] .
The breeding season begins in late January
to April and each pair produces two eggs [6] .
Dalmatian pelicans reach sexual maturity at 2
to 4 years [6] . They migrate short distances to the
wintering areas in deltas and other coastal areas
of the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea and the
Persian Gulf in the autumn [4] .
Distribution in Europe
The Dalmatian pelican used to breed across
western Europe during the Neolithic period, with
fossils found as far west as Great Britain [7] . Today,
the species is restricted to eastern parts of its range
in Europe (from Montenegro to Greece and south
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