Spot-billed Pelican, , also known as Grey Pelican is a relatively small pelican that can be seen from Pakistan – India to Indonesia. The identification of this species of pelican is comparetively easy when seen from a close proximity. The upper mandible has lot of spots on it and hence the name Spot-billed Pelican.
The first time I have seen a Spot-billed Pelican is from Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka, India. It was in the month of Dec, 2013. One famous place where the bird can be seen very easily is the Koonthakulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. I have seen this species from other states of India including Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, etc.
These birds normally breed in colonies and can be easily seen at Koonthakulam Bird Sanctuary and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary where they breed in hundreds along with other waterbirds like egrets, Eurasian Spoonbills and Painted Storks.
Great Indian Birding Trip 