Types of bird beaks

The beaks are a typical structure of some vertebrates, such as tadpoles, reptiles when they  hatch, turtles, platypuses and birds.

Birds do not have teeth, but they do have a beak, which is much lighter than the teeth, so it does not hinder flight. The beak has two holes, which are the nostrils, through which the breathing air passes. With the beak, the birds cannot chew, so they swallow their food whole. The gizzard is responsible for grinding food.

They not only use their beaks to eat, but also have other uses, such as grooming, killing prey, fighting, foraging, courting their mates, or feeding their young.

Birds have different types of beaks, depending on their diet:

• Granivore.
• Insectivore.
• Carnivore.
• Piscivore.
• Frugivore.
• Filter.
• Limnicola.
• Nectivore.

By Erfil based on the work of L. Shyamal (Own work based on File:Birdmorphology-blank.svg) [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Granivore

It is a thick and short beak, which allows to break the seeds. Granivorous birds are sparrows, tits, blue tits, chickens, pigeons, turtledoves.

Video: Wood pigeon on the terrace.

Video: Pigeon in the window.

Insectivorous

The  insectivorous birds can have the beak in two ways:

• Short and wide beak, which allows insects to be caught on the fly, such as swallows, swifts, house martins, etc.

See page for author [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5 ], via Wikimedia Commons

• Long bill, which allows the insect to be hunted in a hole in a tree, such as, for example, the woodpecker , the great spotted woodpecker , the hoopoe, etc.
  

By Juan Lacruz [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Carnivorous

Carnivorous birds have a curved, hook-shaped beak, which allows them to tear off the meat.

Examples: eagles, falcons, vultures, owls, barn owls, tawny owls.

Piscivorous

Piscivorous birds have a long beak, which makes it easy to catch the fish, even if it slips. A bag may appear that allows you to secure the catch. Examples of birds: seagulls, albatrosses, cormorants, pelicans.

Frugivorous

These birds have a thick beak, with which they can break the shell of fleshy and dry fruits. Examples of birds: parrots, macaws, parrots, parakeets, crossbills, toucan.

Filter

This type of beak is usually wide and flat. It has some sheets that filter the water and capture the dissolved food.

Examples of birds: ducks, swans, geese.

Cisne negro en el Parque Miguel Servet de Huesca.

Limnicole

It is a long beak, which is used to rummage through the mud of the ponds, but keeping the eyes out of the water. Examples of birds: spoonbill, stork, avocet, plover.

Carlos Delgado [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Nectivore

It is a long and fine beak, which allows it to be inserted into the nectaries to obtain the nectar of large tropical flowers. Bird examples: hummingbird, fly bird.

Interactive Activity: Types of Peaks.