These pelicans, like the other species, are characterized by their enormous beak equipped with an elastic bag that forms a perfect net for catching fish. The eastern pelican is easily recognized by the grayish color of its plumage and the spots on its beak that it has as adults.

They breed in dense colonies on trees and palm trees, always linked to the aquatic environment, both fresh and saline.

Although it was previously the most common pelican in Southeast Asia, where they numbered in the millions, during the 1960th century its populations suffered an enormous decline. They have disappeared from the Philippines since 1900, where they were first described, and were extremely abundant in XNUMX. Many local populations have become extinct mainly due to the destruction of mangroves and wetlands on the Asian coasts. Today most of the population is distributed in India, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. Due to hunting, egg theft and largely deforestation, the species is listed as near threatened.