Large number of Dalmatian Pelicans

in Jiangsu, eastern China

from the OB mailing list of the Oriental Bird Club, communicated by Simba Chan

From a Chinese news website: on 19 March 2013, 72 Dalmatian Pelicans were seen at Yancheng Nature Reserve, Jiangsu Province, China on 18 March 2013: click here (with photos)

This is probably the highest count of the Dalmatian Pelicans recorded wintering in East Asia for many years. The birds were probably wintering at Wenzhou Bay of Zhejiang Province, where at least 66 birds were reported from in late December 2011. This species used to winter at Deep Bay between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Location of Yancheng Nature Reserve (YNR) in Jiangsu Province (red); pelican breeding area in the Great lakes Basin in western Mongolia (green circle). map base: Wikimedia Commons.

The origin of Dalmatian Pelicans wintering on the Chinese coast is not known. Do they come from breeding sites western Mongolia?