🇬🇧 Pelican meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

A pelican is a very large bird that usually lives near oceans, lakes, or rivers. It has a long beak and a big, stretchy pouch of skin under the beak that looks like a bag. The pelican uses this pouch like a built‑in fishing net: it scoops up fish and water, then lets the water drain out while keeping the fish to eat. Pelicans are strong fliers, can glide over the water, and sometimes dive down like a splashy missile to grab their food.

The pelican landed next to us and gave me a look that clearly said, “You gonna eat that?”

Our class drew a pelican, but my picture looked more like a duck wearing a hammock under its beak.

At the zoo, the pelican’s pouch dripped water everywhere, like a leaky grocery bag with legs and wings.

The pelican stood on the pier like the boss of all birds, with fish tails sticking out of its beak-pouch.

Pelicans can hold more than a dozen small fish in their stretchy pouches, which basically makes each one a flying, self-feeding grocery bag.

On the warm beach a pelican goes into the blue sea and takes a big fish. The pelican opens its big mouth and the fish falls into a soft bag. A child watches the pelican; the pelican sits on a rock and pulls the fish to share. The child laughs and waves goodbye to the pelican.

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This word is at the B1 level, which means it’s important for understanding and discussing familiar topics like work, school, or leisure. Words at this level help you express your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with more detail.

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