A squadron of pelicans has descended on Menindee lakes.

Inflows of 6,000 megalitres a day from the Darling Bakaa River into the iconic Menindee Lakes has attracted a squadron of visiting pelicans.

(The collective noun for the majestic waterbird is either a squadron, a brief or a pod.)

Outback photographer Geoff Looney has shared his images of the lake on the phenomenon with BCB News.

Mr Looney is a well known photographer in the region and runs a popular social media page, followed by 17,000 viewers.

Pelicans are very social birds and often gather together in spectacular numbers, such as the thousands seen recently at Menindee Lakes.

The distinctive large pouch underneath a pelicans beak serves as a net to catch and store fish while the bird swims.

The pouch contracts to allow the pelican to swallow the fish when they are ready to eat.

Young chicks are harder to spot as they are kept in reedbed ‘nurseries’ and fed by their parents until they are almost fully grown.

Native to Australia the large birds weigh around 5 to 7 kilograms (but can be up to a whopping 13 kilos) and can live up to 25 years in the wild.

The Menindee Lake system is a series of nine shallow bodies of water, fed from the Darling/Baaka River, and covers 47,500 hecatres (117,000 acres).

The system holds 1731 gigalitres, and, according to Water NSW, is currently at 39% capacity, holding 686 gigalitres.

The four main lakes in the system are Lake Wetherall, Pamamaroo, Menindee (the largest lake, also known as Lake Minandichi) and Cawndilla.

Modification of the lakes into a storage system was completed in 1968, to improve capacity for farming, recreation, mining and for the use of the townships of nearby Menindee and Broken Hill, 110 kilometres away. The lakes also help slow down the flow during flood times and provide a vital, inland water bird breeding site.

All images: Geoff Looney - Menindee NSW Outback Photography