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A photographer found out it is seldom wise to cross a pelican.

This huge great white pelican at Moscow Zoo took exception to being photographed and lunged forward to peck Nikolay Sotskov's camera.

Fortunately Nikolay was able to step back and prevent his lens disappearing into the vast abyss formed by the pelican's beak and the mouth opening - which is normally the last thing seen by fish, the bird's usual diet, as they are swallowed whole.

The pelican lives at an area of Moscow Zoo called 'Swamp', accompanied by more pelicans and also cormorants. The great white pelican is know as the Rose pelican in Russia due to the rosy hue of its feathers

Nikolay said: 'It was really fun to make these shots as this pelican seemed to decide my camera was some kind of food suitable for pelicans and tried to peck it.

'It was even a bit scary because this is actually a big bird and weighs pretty much.

'But despite my fear I coped to make a couple of shots and I am satisfied with the result as these photos look funny.'

The great white pelican is a huge bird, with only the Dalmatian pelican averaging larger amongst pelicans.

The bird's wingspan can measure from 226 to 360 cm (7.41 to 11.8 ft), with the latter measurement the largest recorded among extant flying animals outside of great albatrosses.

Its enormous bill comprises 28.9 to 47.1 cm (11.4 to 18.5 in) of that length.

Adult males, weigh from 9 to 15 kg (20 to 33 lb), though large races from the Palaearctic are usually around 11 kg (24 lb) with few exceeding 13 kg (29 lb).

The great white pelican is well adapted for aquatic life. The short strong legs and webbed feet propel it in water and aid the bird's rather awkward takeoff from the water surface. Once aloft, the long-winged pelicans are powerful fliers, and often travel in spectacular V-formation groups.

Great white pelicans are usually found in and around shallow, warm, fresh water.

In Africa, great white pelicans occur mainly around freshwater and alkaline lakes and may also be found in coastal, estuarine areas.

Source : dailymail