Which bird uses a pouch under its beak to scoop up fish?

The pelican uses a pouch beneath its beak to scoop up fish.

That flexible throat pouch is called a gular pouch. Pelicans usually capture prey by dipping or plunging their large bills into the water, then expanding the pouch to hold fish and water. They drain the water before swallowing, so the pouch functions as a fishing scoop rather than a storage bag for carrying food over long distances.

Some pelican species fish cooperatively, forming lines or groups that drive fish into shallow water. Brown pelicans are especially known for spectacular plunge-diving, while several other species fish mainly from the water’s surface. Pelicans can also eat amphibians, crustaceans, and, occasionally, other small animals.

The pouch is a useful distinction from similarly shaped waterbirds. Cormorants seize fish with hooked bills, herons stab prey with long pointed bills, and storks generally grasp or probe for food. Pelicans are found on every continent except Antarctica, living around coasts, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Their bills are among the largest of any bird.