WoRMS taxon details
Pelecanus Linnaeus, 1758
137052 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137052)
accepted
Genus
- Species Pelecanus conspicillatus Temminck, 1824
- Species Pelecanus crispus Bruch, 1832
- Species Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin, 1789
- Species Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 1766
- Species Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758
- Species Pelecanus philippensis Gmelin, 1789
- Species Pelecanus rufescens Gmelin, 1789
- Species Pelecanus thagus Molina, 1782
- Species Pelecanus aquilus Linnaeus, 1758 accepted as Fregata aquila (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Species Pelecanus aristotelis Linnaeus, 1761 accepted as Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761) accepted as Gulosus aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761) (superseded original combination)
- Species Pelecanus bassanus Linnaeus, 1758 accepted as Morus bassanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (superseded original combination)
- Species Pelecanus carbo Linnaeus, 1758 accepted as Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) (superseded original combination)
- Species Pelecanus carunculatus Gmelin, 1789 accepted as Leucocarbo carunculatus (Gmelin, 1789) (unaccepted > junior objective synonym)
- Species Pelecanus magellanicus Gmelin, 1789 accepted as Phalacrocorax magellanicus (Gmelin, 1789) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
- Species Pelecanus minor Gmelin, 1789 accepted as Fregata minor (Gmelin, 1789)
- Species Pelecanus plotus Forster, 1844 accepted as Sula leucogaster plotus (Forster, 1844)
- Species Pelecanus sinensis Staunton, 1796 accepted as Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Staunton, 1796)
- Species Pelecanus sula Linnaeus, 1766 accepted as Sula sula (Linnaeus, 1766)
marine, terrestrial
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
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Description Size: very large to enormous. Plumage: silky; white or grey with some black. Other details: wings long, tail very short;...
Description Size: very large to enormous. Plumage: silky; white or grey with some black. Other details: wings long, tail very short; bill long; upper mandible rigid, keeled above, serrated within and strongly hooked at the tip; lower mandible flexible with a large muscular extensible pouch. Legs short and stout set far back on the body. Bare parts brightly coloured. [details]
WoRMS (2026). Pelecanus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137052 on 2026-07-25
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Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
[request]basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Other
additional source
Brown, L.H., E.K. Urban & K. Newman. (1982). The Birds of Africa, Volume I. <em>Academic Press, London.</em> [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Description Size: very large to enormous. Plumage: silky; white or grey with some black. Other details: wings long, tail very short; bill long; upper mandible rigid, keeled above, serrated within and strongly hooked at the tip; lower mandible flexible with a large muscular extensible pouch. Legs short and stout set far back on the body. Bare parts brightly coloured. [details]
