Wildlife

Dalmatian Pelican Welfare: Greek Wetlands Conservation

The Dalmatian pelican is the world's largest pelican and one of Europe's most endangered birds, with its welfare tightly linked to conservation of Greek and Balkan wetlands.

Key Facts

The Dalmatian pelican is listed as Near Threatened globally with a European population of around 1,000 pairs
Lake Prespa and Lake Kerkini in Greece hold the most important European breeding colonies
They require large fish for their diet and are sensitive to changes in fish availability from overfishing
Nest disturbance causes the highly sensitive Dalmatian pelican to abandon colonies completely

Welfare Considerations

Dalmatian pelicans are exceptionally sensitive to human disturbance at breeding colonies, with entire colonies abandoning nests in response to human approach. Reduced fish availability from overfishing causes nutritional stress. Entanglement in fishing gear causes injury and drowning. Lead poisoning from spent shot in fish or prey has been recorded. Conservation management in Greece has been critical to recovering the European population.

What You Can Do

Support the Society for the Protection of Prespa working on Greek pelican conservation
Follow strict exclusion zones at Dalmatian pelican nesting sites
Advocate for sustainable fisheries management in Greek inland lakes
Donate to BirdLife Hellas and international pelican conservation programmes