Outdoors: Do birds have beaks or bills?

It was a spirited debate between friends that surfaced every time we got together.

It was not about politics, the economy or the weather, but the more significant question, do birds have bills or beaks?

Surprisingly, there were strong opinions on both sides.

The Beaker Band made good sense.

“No matter what they look like, all birds have beaks/bills made of the same material that creates human hair and fingernails, so they are all the same. How could you describe the fierce beak of an eagle as a bill?”

But the Bill Brigade could not wrap their heads around declaring that ducks, grebes or flamingos have beaks.

“They are very different and must be called by another name,” they insisted.

Perhaps a higher authority was needed.

The debate had to end so we could move on to the more important discussion of why bird mandibles are different.

I turned to Union-Tribune columnist Richard Lederer, a highly respected language expert, often referred to as “Conan the Grammarian.”

Surely, he had the answer.

And he did.

“The terms ‘beak’ and ‘bill’ are often used interchangeably. ‘Beak’ is the more general word, while ‘bill’ is commonly used in ornithology to describe the beak of certain bird species, particularly waterfowl and shorebirds,” Lederer said.

So, either word is correct, and Lederer didn’t even send me a “bill” for this lofty advice.

Now that we have settled that issue, what can we learn about a bird by simply seeing its beak?

Quite a bit.

The shape, size, color and form of a bird’s beak can offer many clues about where they live, feed, their diet and how they gather food.

Broadly, there are five primary bill types, including conical, hooked, chisels, pointed needle-like and spoon-like beaks. There may also be variations to beak types to provide combined uses unique to the habitat or feeding habits or a particular species.

One of the most common beak types is the conical beak. They are stout, short and durable, made for cracking seeds and nuts.

These are the birds you will most frequently see at seed feeders, including finches, sparrows, grosbeaks, jays, quail and doves.

A good example of variation is the conical beak of the roadrunner.

Their beaks are longer and slightly curved downward, which is ideal for their broad, omnivorous diet.

Roadrunners hunt on the ground, scooping up insects, small reptiles, rodents and birds, and even some native seeds and fruits.

Their adapted beak allows them to reach into holes or cracks but also crush prey or crack things open like seeds or snail shells.

If you spot a bird with a distinctly curved and hooked beak, you are likely watching a bird of prey, such as a hawk, vulture, owl or eagle.

These raptors primarily feed on fish, mammals, reptiles or other birds, and the curved, pointed beak allows them to tear flesh and pull meat from their prey.

Another good example of adaptation of this kind of beak is that of the turkey vulture.

Their raptor-like beaks have adapted to include a large nasal passage that allows increased airflow, giving these scavengers the ability to detect decaying matter from miles away.

Chisel-type beaks are pointed, strong and heavy, allowing birds to drill or dig into wood to find food or create nests.

You will see this on woodpeckers and can often hear them tapping on a tree as they dig holes to store acorns or create a cavity for the upcoming nesting season.

Both hummingbirds and orioles have long, slender beaks, but slightly different dietary preferences.

Hummingbirds primarily feed on nectar, which is a natural sugar that provides the energy they need for their hyperdrive metabolism. This is their primary diet, and their long, slender needle-like beaks allow them to reach deeply into tubular flowers where the nectar is located.

Hummingbirds also feed on small insects and spiders for protein and fats not found in nectar, but their slender beaks limit the size of the food they can capture.

Orioles thrive on nectar, but will also feed on berries, figs and oranges, beetles, ants, wasps and other small insects. Their larger, pointed beaks are suited for this wider menu choice.

Many shore birds also have a variation of the hummingbird beak, with long, often slender and slightly curved beaks that allow them to probe deeply into mud or sand for food.

To keep the bill people happy, we can’t forget ducks.

They belong to a class of birds with spoon or spatula-shaped bills that are flat and designed to scoop up mud or water and filter out food.

Pelicans are included with this bill type, and it’s fascinating to watch them feeding along the surf line by scooping up seawater holding a school of small fish.

That reminds me of an old poem about pelicans that says: “A wonderful bird is the pelican. His bill can hold more than his belican.”

On your next outdoor adventure, see what you can learn from taking a little time to peek at the beak.

Correction

A few sharp-eyed readers questioned a comment in my last column about tarantulas and tarantula wasps.

The sentence said that the natural predators of tarantulas are frogs and hummingbirds. That would be quite a mouthful for a hummingbird.

That information likely crept into my column while trying to insert a sentence about the natural predator for the tarantula wasp, which should have read, “the wasp’s primary predators include frogs, lizards and roadrunners.”

Cowan is a freelance columnist. Email ernie@packtrain.com or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.