Soaring at 3000m

I heard today an interview with a pilot who takes joy flights over Lake Eyre in SA. He said that one of the chief hazards was bird strikes. Pelicans, for instance, can glide and soar to 3000m and more, using thermals. Imagine running into a pod (that's the correct collective, apparently) of pelicans at that height.

There were two pelicans in their accustomed place on the poles near the ferry. One was attending to his feathers, the other appeared to be asleep. It was difficult to imagine them soaring or gliding anywhere.