Why aren’t all birds’ beaks the same shape?

 

                The shape of the bird’s beak or bill, as it should really be called depends on what kind of food the bird usually eats. Feeding habits differ a great deal, and while there are one or two species which will eat practically anything which is available, most birds stick to one particular kind of food. Let’s look at three examples of birds with highly specialized bills.

The woodcock has a long, thin bill, which is perfect for digging in soft ground to extract the worms which are its favorite food. The wide bill of the spoonbill gave this bird its name. It is just right for scooping up and filtering a wide variety of water plants, small fish, and water insects, in the shallow waters where it always feeds. Finches are always seed-eaters, and all species of finches have hard, conical beaks. Each species is slightly different though, and the hawfinch has a bill which is so strong that it can crack a cherry stone.

 

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