Noted for rarely being bothered by the close proximity to human civilisation, the birds nest in colonies, scooping their sack like bills in the water to catch their favoured prey - fish.

The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and in Cambodia.

The spot-billed pelican is a relatively small pelican but still a large bird which is distinguished by the spots on its bill.

It is said that this species was once used by fishermen in parts of eastern Bengal as decoys for certain fish. These fishermen believed that an oily secretion from the bird attracted certain fish such as the Dwarf gourami.

Pics : Deva Jayawardhane