Bird Beaks & Their Uses

Tearing Beak Birds of prey such as the eagle, hawk, falcon, and owl use their beak to tear their food into small pieces they can swallow.

Griffon Vulture

Hook Beak Birds that eat fruit, berries, and vegetables have a hooked beak to help them dig into their food.

Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot

Spear-like Beak These birds have a beak with saw-like edges and a hooked tip that helps them catch fish.

Louisiana Heron

Crackers Beak Many birds that eat seeds must be able to crack open the hull that surrounds the seed.

Sparrow

Tweezers Beak Birds that pull worms and insects from the ground need tweezers-like beaks.

American Robin

Straw-like Beak The hummingbird’s beak allow it to sip nectar from flowers. Some birds have probing beaks that allow them to find food in sand or mud.

Hummingbird

Filtering Beak The bill of a duck is fringed to allow mud and water to escape while straining plants, seeds, and small animals for it to eat.

White-Faced Whistling Duck