When it comes to catching fish, birds have found many techniques. You having diving kingfishers, spearing herons and skimmers galore. But the birds with the most straight forward approach are the pelicans. With an inflatable gullet, they scoop their prey in, water and all. This has made them quite successful, being found across the globe. They aren’t hugely common on toy shop shelves, but some have broken through, such as this example by Bullyland.
First, to discern the species. With a largely white body and a touch of grey on the wings, this is an example of the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), the second largest pelican species, being up to 71″ in length. They are common across Africa, Europe and Asia, living in swamp and shallow lake areas, and have the most models made of them out of all the pelicans.
Let’s actually talk about said figure. It’s a fairly neutral posture, standing in grasses and looking out. Not hugely dynamic, but it works. It is a reasonably small figure, being 2.2″ high and 2″ from bill to tail feathers, so will be easy to tuck away if yo lack space.
This is a pleasant little model, and stands well amongst the other great whites out there (the pelicans, not the toothy fish kind!). It is an older model, so eBay will be the best bet, and I do think it is worth considering, even in spite of it’s age. If you have a little space for this winged wonder, I’d say go for it.
Oh, this model is well designed. Recently, I found that my son was very interested in bird models when he came to play at a friend’s house. I find this design beautiful and unique. I think this might be the right gift for him. Maybe he’ll like it. Thanks for your sharing.