We all know that birds have beaks or beaks, but why do they have teeth to chew their food? Are those bills or bills (used interchangeably) just for eating? The answer to these questions is no! All wild bird beaks or beaks work in various ways depending on their environment and dietary needs. This article will deal with land birds like songbirds, perching birds, and birds of prey etc. although waterfowl and waterfowl follow many of these concepts will be covered in a future article. Spikes or beaks come in a variety of shapes and sizes that define the role it plays in the needs of wild birds.
The beak of wild birds consists of two bony structures that form the upper and lower jaws. These structures are enclosed in a thin covering of keratin (protein) made up of epidermal cells that grow from plates at the base of the jaws. This pod is called rhamphotheca. These cells continually grow to replace the old, worn-out areas of the bird’s beak. The upper jaw (maxilla) is embedded in the skull. Each side of the skull has a bony tooth that is attached to the maxilla. A nasofrontal hinge allows the top of the bill to move up or down. The lower jaw is attached by two plates that form a U-shaped or V-shaped structure that supports the maxillary bone. The plates are attached to both sides of the skull. The jaw muscles allow the gap to close, although for the most part they are weak muscles.
Most wild birds have tomia in their jaws. These are rounded, sharp, or saw-toothed cutting edges on the jaws. This structure helps to cut seeds, insects or lizards, etc. Tomia helps prevent prey or a slippery fish from escaping or slipping out of the beak.
Wild birds have a tooth in their beak when they are young to help break their shell to come into the world. This disappears after hatching. Ducks and swans have beak spikes or beak horns in their beaks, which are simply layers of keratin that help dig up plants or open shellfish.
In some wild birds, the bill changes color or varies in brightness to attract a mate. Once the breeding season is over, the keratin layer is shed and a new layer or covering replaces it. Shearwaters are a good example of this phenomenon. The cardinal is a good example of the increasingly vibrant beak to attract a mate.
Bill clapping his hands and dancing to attract a mate is seen in wild birds like cranes and storks. The birds touch their beaks and dance in a mating ritual with their heads moving and interacting with each other. If the couple stays in sync, the couple stays together, if not, they break up and look for a different partner. Woodcocks and grouse use bill drumming to attract and find mates.
When bird watching or birdwatching, note the type and size of the bill in comparison to the bird’s head and body to help identify the sighted bird. The shape will help to classify the type of food that the wild bird prefers. The category that the wild bird fits into, whether it is a seed eater or an insect eater, is not always clear and dry because at different times of the year or season, birds can interbreed in what they eat. For example, robins primarily eat worms or grubs in the spring or when raising their young, but as berries become available they may eat them instead. When the worms become harder to find in the fall or winter months, holly berries will become their main food. Hummingbirds and orioles drink large amounts of nectar in the spring, but feed on insects and fruit, respectively, as the seasons progress.
Basically, the beak determines what food the bird prefers and how it gets it. The size and shape of the beak are a tool to achieve the bird’s goals. The following is a basic general list of the various beak shapes and sizes of wild birds and their food preferences.
Seed eaters have conical beaks that crush and slice seeds, nuts, and pits. The larger, heavier-looking bills belonging to cardinals and hawflies attack larger, harder-shelled seeds, such as sunflower and safflower seeds, maple pods, and spruce nuts. The smaller conical beaks of finches, buntings, and sparrows crush smaller seeds of grass, millet, and thistle.
Nectar eaters have long, thin, slightly downward-curving straw bills that allow the hummingbird to reach deeper into the flower to sip the sugary substance, nectar.
Nectar and fruit eaters tend to have longer and narrower bills than seed eaters, but shorter than nectar-eating birds. Scarlet tanagers, vireos, and orioles peck the fruit of apple, cherry, berry bushes, and trees for food. The toucan is an exception in terms of bill length with its long, colorful bill that allows it to reach into avocados and remove them from the tree.
Insect eaters have slender, short, pointed beaks that can open their beaks wide so that they can catch insects in flight. Their beaks are extremely small compared to their head. Swifts and swallows enjoy their snacks during the flight.
Probing beaks are longer and more pointed than the beaks of bug eaters. The spikes appear thicker and heavier although they are not heavy because most of the spikes are hollow. Robins, grackles, and flickers stab grubs, grubs, and insects in the ground with these pointed beaks.
Chipping-billed birds often overlap with plumbing-billed birds. They have long, heavy bills that can hammer into tree trunks, as well as bore and chisel holes. These heavy yet slightly bills are quite powerful and allow the bird to pierce insects and dig large holes for nesting. The family of woodpeckers also use their bills to drum for a mate.
Ripper or ripping bills are very large and heavy bills with a very sharp hook at the end of the bill. These beaks belong to hunting birds of prey. The owl, hawk and eagle family use this hook to pierce their prey, killing it. The beak allows the bird to rip or tear the prey to pieces. There is a small tooth in the upper jaw that aligns with a gap in the lower jaw to hold the catch in place while the bird is in flight. Vultures also belong to this group, although they do not hunt but are opportunistic birds that tear and tear at their carrion.
Although the bills or beaks of wild birds are similar in many ways, their roles and dietary needs are dictated by the shape and size of their beaks. It is necessary to remember that wild birds move to other categories depending on the availability of food in that season. The bills act as tools, whether for building nests, mating, or playing. Jays and crows love to pick up shiny objects and play with them before taking them back to their nest. Other birds like to collect thread, animal hair, and materials to weave into their nests or line the nest. No matter what the job, the beak plays an important role in the bird’s life. Knowing the shape of the bill helps identify a bird seen by the birder or where the birder might find a particular bird to add to their life list.