Types Of Bird Beaks

Birds are one of the most diverse groups in the world, and they usually have beaks, but these beaks differ according to the environment and nutritional behavior in addition to other factors, and in this article we will talk about the types of bird beaks.

Types of bird beaks according to their shapes

Bird beaks are classified according to their shape and function. The following are the most important types of bird beaks:

beaks are bent

There are birds that have hooked beaks, such as owls, eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey that use their beaks to tear open meat, as they are usually carnivores.

Conical beaks

Some birds have cone-shaped beaks, such as goldfinch, sparrows, and canaries, as they have a short and strong beak that ends in a conical shape, which allows them to open and crack seeds.

Curved short beaks

Some bird species have short, curved beaks, like parrots, which they use to split and crack hard fruits and nuts.

Thin straight beaks

There are some species of birds that have straight, thin beaks, which specialize in catching and eating insects with their beaks. Woodpeckers also have strong, thin beaks for pecking through wood to find insects.

Long, thin, needle-like beaks

Some birds have long, thin, needle-like beaks, especially those that feed on nectar, like hummingbirds put their beaks in flowers to find food.

The beaks are broad and flat

There are some birds that have wide, flat beaks, which contain a filtration system in their beaks to select their food from ponds and river basins, and examples of them are flamingos, swans and ducks.

Beaks of al-Malaq

There are species of birds that have spatulate beaks, which are long and large to help them catch molluscs and small animals from the bottoms of ponds and swamps.

Beaks are large, long and strong

There are some types of birds that have large, long, and strong beaks (Large, long, and strong beaks) that eat fish, and examples of them are pelicans, albatrosses, and seagulls. There is also a bag at the bottom of the beak of the pelican that helps in taking large amounts of water to store fish in it .

Cross beaks

They are beaks with crossed ends, and their function is that they have the ability to extract seeds from closed pine cones, and an example of birds that have such a beak is the red cross-beaked bird.

Multifunctional beaks

like the beak that the Toucan bird has, and they are versatile beaks such as collecting and cutting fruits, scaring away predators, attracting friends, in addition to defending the territory.

What is the composition of the beaks of birds?

The composition of the bird’s beak consists of a protein called keratin, and the layer of keratin is on top of the bones, which gives the beaks their shiny appearance, and with the erosion of keratin through frequent use, a new layer is formed, so the bird’s beak remains sharp and smooth