Birds are one of the most amazing representatives of the animal world. Despite the general plan of the structure, they are all very diverse. And the beak of birds is also no exception. In our article, we will consider the features of its structure in representatives of different systematic groups of birds.
General characteristics of birds
The main feature of these animals is the ability to fly. For this, birds have a number of adaptive features:
- body is streamlined;
- forelimbs modified into wings;
- presence of feather cover;
- hollow bones, as well as the presence of a keel - a protrusion of the sternum;
- double breath;
- warm-blooded.
The structure of a bird's beak
The "calling card" of each species is its beak. The photo of bird beaks in our article proves this once again. In an eagle it is bent down, in a goose it is flat and equipped with special teeth, and in a swallow it is thin and sharp. The beak of birds is the jaws. Their bone tissue is covered with horny substance, which in its chemical compositionresembles human hair and nails. At the base of the upper part of the beak are the nostrils through which air enters the body.
If we compare the functional features of the jaws of humans and birds, we can say that in the latter they are distinguished by great diversity and specialization. This is not only a device for the extraction and ingestion of food. With the help of their beaks, birds extract building material for nests, build their own dwellings, and lean while climbing. Some aquatic birds use it as a sifter.
Which bird has which beak
Folk wisdom says: "Each bird is fed with its beak." And it is no coincidence. The shape, length and size of the beak is really determined by the way food is obtained and its nature.
For example, an ibis is a bird with a long beak. Thanks to this structure, it can extract any living creature from shallow water or from the soil. Everyone knows the pelican's beak. It has a leathery pouch underneath, which the bird uses to catch fish. And woodpeckers use their beak as a chisel, with which it makes holes in the bark of trees. This is how the bird gets insects and their larvae.
According to the way of nutrition and the characteristics of life, birds can be combined into several groups. Let's look at each of them and their corresponding beak types in more detail.
"Predatory" beak
The birds of this group are of considerable size and are capable of "soaring" flight. This feature allowsthem to track down the prey in the open area. Then the predators fly down like a stone and pierce their prey with sharp claws. Their beak is curved down and very sharp. Therefore, vultures, eagles, hawks and falcons easily tear the meat of prey to pieces.
Waterfowl
This group includes geese, swans, ducks. Their beak has a flat shape and is equipped with denticles and plates of horny substance. With their help, birds grind and grind food.
But loons, which are also representatives of waterfowl, have a pointed beak. These birds feed on small fish they get from diving.
Snipe is a bird with a long beak. It lives in swamps, pulling small vertebrates out of the mud. The heron also has such a beak, which allows it to hold the fish. It is considered a near-water bird because it does not have a coccygeal gland. This feature prevents her from swimming and diving.
Grain-eating birds
Bullfinches and goldfinches prefer seeds, buds and berries as their favorite delicacy. Therefore, their beak is short, but thick. This feature allows granivorous birds not to make significant efforts when obtaining food.
The absorption of seeds occurs in different ways. For example, chicken representatives swallow them without crushing them. They have a well-developed muscular stomach and goiter, in which food is chemically processed for several hours.
Finches use their beaks not only to collect seeds. These birds first peel them from the inedible peel,and then crush the core, grinding food. Such a process is possible thanks to a massive beak with a sharp tip and developed muscles.
Birds that swallow seeds whole help spread them. When passing through the intestines, they practically do not lose their ability to germinate, and often even increase this quality.
Meet the insectivores
The beak of birds that prefer insects can be of various shapes and lengths. However, it is always thin and sharp. Representatives of this group of birds are swallows, starlings, swifts, tits, blackbirds, flycatchers, orioles, cuckoos.
They consume a particularly large amount of food while feeding offspring. At the same time, insectivorous birds destroy malicious pests of agriculture: leaf beetles, moths, carnivores, and aphids. They collect their food in the soil, grass, bush thickets.
Environmentalists believe that it is the activities of birds that do not allow harmful insects to multiply in catastrophic forms. An interesting fact is that under favorable conditions, insectivores can change their food habits. This is very important in the development of certain types of pests. Therefore, there is a pattern: if a large number of birds appeared within the range, then intensive reproduction of insects is observed here, and vice versa.
It is worth noting that birds with different types of beaks have additional features that allow them to get food. In predators, these are wide wings that provide a "soaring" flight, and sharp claws. And granivorous have well-developed muscles.
Thus, the beak of birds corresponds to the nature of the food and the way it is obtained. According to these features, birds are combined into several groups:
- Predatory - they have a powerful, bent down beak. This allows them to attack, hold and tear their prey.
- Waterfowl - includes birds with two kinds of beaks. The first of them is flat and equipped with an apparatus for grinding food. The second one is sharp and long, allowing you to search for vertebrates in the water.
- Grain-eating - have a short but very powerful beak. They develop great strength when crushing seeds and fruits.
- Insectivores - characterized by a sharp and thin beak. This allows you to get food from the most inaccessible places.
