The gular pouch of the pelican is an extraordinary natural tool capable of holding up to three gallons (11 litres) of water, which is roughly three times the capacity of its stomach, demonstrating one of the most extreme mouth-to-body ratios in the animal world.  When the bird scoops fish and water into its beak, it quickly drains the liquid, leaving the prey behind before swallowing it whole.  The elastic pouch skin is supported by flexible lower mandible bones that expand outward and by musc

Earth | Nature | Ocean on Instagram: "The true size of a pelican’s mouth is most impressive when the bird yawns or stretches its bill wide open. A pelican’s large, flexible beak-especially the lower pouch, known as the gular pouch-can expand tremendously, revealing just how remarkable this bird’s feeding tool really is. When yawning, the pouch can stretch enough to hold several liters of water or even a large fish, which helps the pelican scoop up prey while fishing. The sight can be both fascin