The frizzled Pelican is 160 to 180 cm long and has a wingspan of 270 to 350 cm. The plumage is predominantly white. The underside of the wings is almost entirely white, except for the edges of the bats.
The iris is pale and the feathers on the crown are carelessly frizzled The legs are gray. The throat pouch is orange-red and has room for a lot of food.
The food consists of fish, of which the animal needs at least 1 kg per day. The birds work together during the hunt by swimming in a semi-circle to herd the fish together, after which they are scooped up. In freshwater they mainly catch carp, perch, roach, rudd and pike, and in salt and brackish water they catch eel, mullet, goby and shrimp.
The bird breeds in dense bird colonies in freshwater marshes. Young of 3 to 4 weeks of age are housed in a "nursery. The parents do not supervise them, but do bring food regularly. The young make their first flight when they are one month old and after six weeks they can go fishing on their own.