The Dalmatian pelican is one of Europe’s largest flying birds with a wingspan of up to three metres (9ft 8in).
There are thought to be about 10,000-20,000 of them, external left in the world, with the largest colony at Lake Mikri Prespa in Greece.
The bird was wiped out in Britain due to a combination of wetland drainage and human disturbance, with Macdonald adding they were considered a “very good source of food” by our ancestors.
According to fossil records, they were very common in Somerset, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire.
In order to thrive, they depend on networks of healthy, connected wetlands, abundant fish stocks and suitable nesting areas.