Great white pelicans are found on a transmission tower in Longquan town, Longhua district, Haikou. [Photo by Su Xiaojie/Hainan Daily APP]
Locals spotted some great white pelicans, a national second-class protected animal, in two parts of Hainan province this week.
On Jan 5, 16 such birds were found in Wanning's Lehe town. It is the first recorded instance of a great white pelican in Hainan. Seven were also seen in Haikou on Jan 8.
Pelicans are large birds than can swim and feed on fish. They can fly for long distances at a speed of up to 40 kilometers per hour. They mainly winter in Africa and Southeast Asia, and are commonly seen in Chinese provinces such as Henan, Gansu, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Fujian.
Two great white pelicans search for food in Hainan. [Photo by Su Xiaojie/Hainan Daily APP]
A great white pelican in Hainan [Photo by Su Xiaojie/Hainan Daily APP]
Overview
Haikou 
Sanya 
