Pelicans are large water birds characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. They have predominantly pale plumage and their bills, pouches, and bare facial skin become brightly coloured before the breeding season. Pelicans frequent inland and coastal waters, where they feed principally on fish, catching them at or near the water surface. They are gregarious birds, travelling in flocks, hunting cooperatively, and breeding in colonies. They also have a long history of cultural significance in mythology, in Christian and heraldic iconography and popular limericks: “A wonderful bird is the pelican, His bill will hold more than his belican, He can take in his beak Food enough for a week, But I'm damned if I see how the helican.” ​Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) (CE). Magnificent Great White Pelican on decorative stand. From the former collection of Mr. Paquet.