Dereila Nature Inn - Bird's Nest Lounge

The beaks, or more correctly, the bills of birds are cleverly adapted to securing the food they prefer. Here's a quick guide. Click on the images and a pop-up window will open with examples of birds in the group.

	__	The Crackers Birds like finches, grosbeaks, cardinals and sparrows have cone-shaped bills used to crack open seeds.

		The Pickers Insect eaters like wrens and warblers have tweezer-like bills which are thin and pointed and useful in picking insects off twigs and leaves.

		The Probers Hummingbirds have long thin bills used like a straw with which they probe flowers to get nectar.

		The Chislers Woodpeckers and their relatives have strong beaks with a tip used for pecking or drilling holes into wood in their search for grubs and insects underneath the bark.

		The Handy Ones Ravens and crows have multi-purpose bills used for eating seeds, fruit, insects and other food.

		The Rippers Eagles, hawks, owls and other birds of prey have sharp bills with hooks used to rip the flesh of prey.

		The Diggers Some shore birds like the Black Oystercatcher have long, slender and sometimes curved beaks used for digging into the sand and mud in search of food.

		The Stabbers Herons and kingfishers have spear-like bills used to stab at or grab fish and other prey.

		The Fishers Some ducks like the Merganser eat fish and have tooth-like structures around the bill to hold their catch while draining water.

		The Sieves Birds like Shovelers and Mallards have fringed, flat bills to strain seeds, grubs and plants from water.

		The Catchers Birds which catch insects in flight usually have flat, wide bills. Many also have hairs at the base of their bills which are effective in capturing insects.