低幼童话40白鹈鹕一家的快乐生活

在美丽的青海湖、准噶尔盆地还有塔里木河流域的湖泊河流边，住着一群可爱的白鹈鹕，人们有时候也叫它们骆驼鸟，它们可是国家一级保护动物呢。

白鹈鹕特别好认，它们身材可大啦，有1.4 - 1.7米长，张开翅膀能有2米多宽，体重能达到10公斤，就像一个个胖墩墩的大白鸟，在一群水禽里，一下子就能看到它们。它们浑身雪白，飞起来的时候，翅膀尖是黑色的，胸前还有一撮黄色的长羽毛。

白鹈鹕最有趣的就是它们的嘴巴，又宽又大又长，有30厘米呢，嘴巴尖还弯弯的像个小钩子。嘴巴下面有个橙黄色的皮囊，就像一个会变魔法的网兜。平时这个网兜不怎么明显，可当白鹈鹕张开大嘴巴的时候，它就能装好多好多小鱼。

白鹈鹕捕鱼的样子可壮观啦！它们先飞到半空中，然后像小火箭一样“嗖”地扎进水里，溅起大大的水花。它们张大嘴巴朝鱼群冲过去，网兜一样的皮囊就把鱼和水都装进去，鱼想跑都跑不了。等捕到鱼浮出水面的时候，因为嘴巴里装了东西，它们总是尾巴先出来，然后才是身体和大嘴。接着，白鹈鹕会把水挤出去，慢悠悠地吞下美味的鱼。有时候，它们捕到鱼也不着急吃，会让鱼在皮囊里滚一会儿，要3分钟才能吞下一条1斤重的鱼，可有耐心啦。

除了自己扎猛子捕鱼，白鹈鹕还会和小伙伴们一起合作赶鱼。它们在水面上把鱼群赶到一个小地方，然后把头伸进水里，用皮囊捞鱼，连厉害的鸬鹚看了都觉得它们好棒呢。白鹈鹕不光爱吃鱼，贝类、甲壳类还有两栖类动物它们也喜欢，有时候还会吃小鸟，只要能塞进嘴巴里的，它们都觉得是美味。

白鹈鹕喜欢大家住在一起，休息的时候就扎堆在岸边，下水捕鱼也一起去。它们游泳的时候，脖子会弯成“S”形，还会“嘎嘎”叫，声音虽然有点粗哑，但是大家都知道它们在开心地聊天。

秋天到了，白鹈鹕要飞到南方去过冬。它们虽然身子又大又重，但是能像老鹰一样在天空飞，不过没有老鹰飞得那么高。起飞的时候，它们在水面快速扇动翅膀，脚在水里使劲划，然后就慢慢飞起来啦。飞在天上的时候，它们把脖子弯在背上，脚往后伸，就像优雅的天鹅一样。

到了南方的新家，白鹈鹕的日子过得可悠闲啦，除了游泳捕鱼，就是在岸上晒太阳、梳羽毛。

白鹈鹕还是很有爱的鸟呢。到了找对象的时候，不管是雄鸟还是雌鸟，都会跳舞、做好玩的动作来吸引对方。它们成了夫妻以后，就会一直在一起，用嘴巴互相蹭蹭，还会帮对方梳理羽毛。

它们会在岛上筑一个温暖的巢，然后生下3枚蛋。爸爸妈妈会一起孵蛋，等宝宝出生了，它们就把吃下去半消化的鱼吐出来喂给宝宝。等宝宝长大一些，就不用吐出来啦，宝宝把头伸进爸爸妈妈的大嘴巴里就能吃到食物，有时候宝宝大半个身子都钻进嘴巴里，看起来既好玩又温馨。

在爸爸妈妈的照顾下，小白鹈鹕一天天长大，慢慢地就能自己捕鱼、自己生活啦，它们也会像爸爸妈妈一样，快乐地生活在这片美丽的地方。

The Happy Life of the White Pelican Family

Look! By the beautiful Qinghai Lake, shiny as a blue jewel, and near the lakes and rivers of the Junggar Basin and Tarim River, smooth as giant mirrors, lives a family of very special big birds – the White Pelicans! They are precious treasures of our country, protected just like adorable pandas!

White Pelicans are super easy to spot! They are really BIG! Standing taller than a kindergarten child (1.4 - 1.7 meters), their wings stretch wider than two little tables put together (over 2 meters)! They have round, plump bodies like giant snowballs, weighing as much as a big bag of rice (10 kg)! You can see them right away on the water. They wear coats of snowy white feathers. When they fly, the tips of their wings are a cool black, and they have a shiny, golden necklace of long feathers on their chest. So handsome!

But the most fun part is their HUGE beak! It’s wide and long, like a 30-centimeter shovel! The tip even curves down like a little hook. The most magical thing is the bright orange "Magic Pouch" (gular pouch) hiding under their beak! Usually, it’s flat and hard to see. But when a pelican opens its beak wide – "SNAP!" – this Magic Pouch puffs up, turning into a super-sized net! Can you guess how many fishies it can hold?

Watching pelicans catch fish is SO exciting and funny! They fly up high, then – "WHOOSH!" – dive down like a little rocket! "SPLASH!" They crash into the water, making a giant splash! They zoom towards a school of fish, open wide – "SNAP!" – and that amazing Magic Pouch net scoops up loads of fish and water! The fish can’t escape! When they pop back up with their catch, guess what happens first? Because their beaks are so heavy, their little bottoms pop up first, then their bodies and long beaks follow. Silly sight! Next, they "GULP-GULP!" squeeze the water out the sides of their beak. Then "GULP!" they swallow the yummy fish slowly. Sometimes, if they catch a big fish, they aren’t in a hurry. They let the fish wiggle in their Magic Pouch for a whole 3 minutes (that’s like counting to 180!) before swallowing. So patient!

Besides diving solo, pelicans love to play the "Fish Herding Game" with their friends! They swim in a line on the water, pushing fish into a little corner. Then – "SPLASH!" – they all dunk their heads in together, using their Magic Pouches like nets to scoop up fish! Even the expert fishing cormorant birds think they are awesome! Pelicans love fish best, but they also munch on yummy water snails, little shrimp, and tiny frogs – anything small enough to fit into their "Shovel Beak"!

Pelican families love to live all together, nice and cozy! When resting, they snuggle close on the shore, soaking up the warm sun. They go fishing together too, like a fleet of big white boats! When they swim, their necks curve in a pretty "S" shape, and they chat loudly: "SQUAWK! SQUAWK! SQUAWK!" Their voices might sound a bit raspy, but you can tell they are very happy!

When autumn comes and the air turns chilly, the pelican family flies south for the winter! Don’t let their big, heavy bodies fool you – they fly like champions! They might not soar as high as eagles, but they glide through the blue sky like big airplanes. Taking off is really funny: They "FLAP-FLAP-FLAP!" their huge wings hard on the water, paddle their feet "SPLASH-SPLASH-SPLASH!" super fast, and then – "WHOOSH!" – up they go! Flying high, they curve their necks gracefully onto their backs and stretch their feet straight out behind them. They look just as elegant as swans!

In their warm, sunny new home down south, pelicans live a relaxed life! Besides swimming and fishing, they love lazing on the shore, basking in the sun, and carefully preening their beautiful snowy feathers with their beaks.

Pelicans are also very loving birds! When it’s time to find a best friend (a mate), both Daddy and Mommy pelicans dance happy dances and do silly moves to impress each other. Once they become best friends (a pair), they stay together forever. They gently rub their big beaks together and lovingly preen each other's feathers. So sweet!

They build a big, warm, comfy nest out of sticks and grass on a safe island. Then, Mommy Pelican lays three round, white eggs. Daddy and Mommy Pelican take turns sitting on the eggs, keeping them warm like cozy heaters. When the fluffy little baby pelicans "PEEP! PEEP!" hatch, Mommy and Daddy feed them soft, mushed-up fish they bring up from their own tummies. As the babies grow a little bigger, they don't need the mushy fish anymore! The baby pelicans just poke their heads right into Mommy or Daddy's HUGE beak to find food! Sometimes, the baby wiggles so far in that you can only see its little bottom sticking out, wiggling in the air! It looks so funny and super, super warm!

With lots and lots of love from Mommy and Daddy, the little pelicans grow bigger and stronger every day, their feathers getting fluffier. Slowly, they learn to catch fish by themselves, fly on their own, and start their own adventures! Just like their parents, they will live happily and freely in beautiful places with their friends and family!

Splash! Gulp! Squawk!