Bird of the Week Challenge - 23rd March: beautiful beaks

50 posts / 0 new
Last post
Holly
Holly's picture
Bird of the Week Challenge - 23rd March: beautiful beaks

Welcome to another Monday everybody! Lets see lovely photos that focus on the beaks of our bird life. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and tell us alot about the birds themselves.

 

 

Reflex
Reflex's picture

I heard recently that a Pelican can hold up to as much as 14 litres of water in it's bill.

 

Samford Valley Qld.

timmo
timmo's picture

That photo's really interesting Reflex.

Do you know what the appendage at the bottom of  the bill is there?

I wonder if it has to do with draining water from the bill somehow?  

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Reflex
Reflex's picture

timmo wrote:

That photo's really interesting Reflex.

Do you know what the appendage at the bottom of  the bill is there?

I wonder if it has to do with draining water from the bill somehow?  

 Sorry Tim. I'm not sure what that is to be honest.

Samford Valley Qld.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

M-L

Chris 333
Chris 333's picture

"Heaven, I'm in heaven.......  When we're out together dancing beak to beak".... (with apologies to Irving Berlin).

Well, out together nibbling gumnuts anyway.  Red tailed cockatoo pair.

pacman
pacman's picture

I was going to use  a honeyeater and make a reference to a sticky beak but my favourite beak is the Beach Stone-curlew

Peter

rad1606
rad1606's picture

Laughing Kookaburra!

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

The beautiful black beak of a Glossy Black.

timmo
timmo's picture

Beautiful pic, Owl and very timely.

I have just been discussing getting involved in Glossy Black Birding Day this year.

For those of you who are interested and are in SEQ/Northern NSW, there is a birding day coming up on May 3, 2015.

Details can be found here: http://www.glossyblack.org.au/gbcday_registration.html 

Sorry for the hijack...

...as you were, folks smiley

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

timmo
timmo's picture

The fascinatingly mottled beak of a Tawny Frogmouth.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

Thanks Timmo, great info.

A comparison of a young female Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - white beak will turn dark with use/age.

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Majestic & huge beak of a Black Currawong.

West Coast Tasmania

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Now, that's a beakcheeky

M-L

Reflex
Reflex's picture

When does a beak become a bill or a bill become beak? Is there a difference?

Paradise Riflebird (female) the key factor in design here I'd say, is based on the need for an instrument to obtain food in an efficient manner.

Samford Valley Qld.

Chris 333
Chris 333's picture

Reflex wrote:

When does a beak become a bill or a bill become beak? Is there a difference?

Good question. In the human world it seems to be a case of "the fancier the food, the bigger the bill"....   But I'm not sure what applies in the bird world.  

I tried to find out  what the difference was a few weeks ago but the answers I found weren't consistent or definitive.  In general, it seemed that "beak" was a common term that covered all birds and was understood by everybody. It was even used for some non-bird creatures. Dolphins, octopus, some dinosaur, etc

And "bill" was used for some birds and not others, although exactly when and why seemed open for debate. Some version of this was popular "especially used when the beak is slender, flattened or weak, or belongs to a web-footed bird or a bird of the pigeon family.".   But a platypus has a bill too....  So usage proably varies depending on who is talking.

But I expect somebody here has a more precise definition.

Annie W
Annie W's picture

My definition is that a beak is relatively pointy, and a bill is not - and waterbirds are generally the owners of bills.  But I'll stress that there is no scientific basis to my definition whatsoever laugh.  Be interesting to know what the official definitive scientific definition is for sure.

West Coast Tasmania

Chris 333
Chris 333's picture

AnnieJ wrote:

My definition is that a beak is relatively pointy, and a bill is not - and waterbirds are generally the owners of bills.  But I'll stress that there is no scientific basis to my definition whatsoever laugh.  Be interesting to know what the official definitive scientific definition is for sure.

That's pretty much what I always thought too. Bills being rounder and belonging to water birds.   So I'm not sure where and how pigeons snuck in there. Doves "bill and coo"  and spinebills are honeyeaters with pointy beaks.  So who knows.

Wikipedia gives three terms - beak, bill or rostrum (didn't know that one) and says that "beak" was originally applied to birds of prey, but then says: " in modern ornithology, the terms 'beak' and 'bill' are generally considered to be synonymous"

Devster
Devster's picture

Thats great info Chris & Annie.

One of lifes many mysteries to ponder cool

He's a beak of a Purple swamp hen.

Pretty solid considering it mainly eats vegitation

Devster
Devster's picture

timmo wrote:

That photo's really interesting Reflex.

Do you know what the appendage at the bottom of  the bill is there?

I wonder if it has to do with draining water from the bill somehow?  

That is the Pelicans Trachaea or wind pipe.

Just like a python, it uses this to beathe while it is swallowing large prey.

Reflex
Reflex's picture

Chris 333 wrote:
AnnieJ wrote:

My definition is that a beak is relatively pointy, and a bill is not - and waterbirds are generally the owners of bills.  But I'll stress that there is no scientific basis to my definition whatsoever laugh.  Be interesting to know what the official definitive scientific definition is for sure.

That's pretty much what I always thought too. Bills being rounder and belonging to water birds.   So I'm not sure where and how pigeons snuck in there. Doves "bill and coo"  and spinebills are honeyeaters with pointy beaks.  So who knows.

Wikipedia gives three terms - beak, bill or rostrum (didn't know that one) and says that "beak" was originally applied to birds of prey, but then says: " in modern ornithology, the terms 'beak' and 'bill' are generally considered to be synonymous"

 I couldn't find a good clear answer but I thought this one was the most helpfull... 

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/75204/

Samford Valley Qld.

rad1606
rad1606's picture

First one didn't work. Laughing Kookaburra :)

Reflex
Reflex's picture

I discovered some interesting facts about birds beaks whilst I was looking for the definition between beak and bill.

Birds' bills continue to grow throughout the birds lives, this is necessary to replace the wearing that inevitably occurs at the tips.

Barn Owl's are very well equipped.

Samford Valley Qld.

ungb
ungb's picture

This beak is made for jabbing

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

You've attached the wrong factsheet ungb. it's an Australian Magpie!

To complete the comparison of cockatoo beaks, here's, in my opinion, the least pretty beak of the 3, from the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

ungb
ungb's picture

Thanks for pointing out the error Owl.This one is more like the Australian Raven :) 

Elsie
Elsie's picture

Great photos everyone! now here's a long beak/bill laugh

robwill
robwill's picture

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo. Beautiful and deadly beak.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo by robwill4, on Flickr

sorry Owl. I didn't see your post. Oh well, I'll find somthing a little different by the end of the week. 

Rob. 

robwill
robwill's picture

Awesome pic of the swamp hen Dev. You got nice and close for that shot!

Rob. 

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

It's alright Rob, provides a new angle.

I WAS going to post a Swamphen too, but looks like Devster beat me too it laugh

Had to post the Bassian Thrush again, the beak is very prominent.

robwill
robwill's picture

Owl of Kedumba wrote:

It's alright Rob, provides a new angle.

I WAS going to post a Swamphen too, but looks like Devster beat me too it laugh

Had to post the Bassian Thrush again, the beak is very prominent.

Nice shot owl. I was walking around the botanical gardens and spotted a large flock of cockatoos this arvo. This guy came up closer than the others for a portrait :)

Rob. 

Amson
Amson's picture

I love the Sooty Oystercatcher's beak and they are certainly effective. I was watching a group of them Caloundra last week and they were having a great time eating very well.

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Cockatoos are such characters when they're feeding, getting into any position to get the tasty treats, sometimes I'm sure they do it just for pure fun too laugh.

This male Fairy Penguin has an impressive schnoz I think.

West Coast Tasmania

ungb
ungb's picture

How about a French Kiss, anyone?

Reflex
Reflex's picture

This is an impressive beak..........

Samford Valley Qld.

Devster
Devster's picture

robwill wrote:

Awesome pic of the swamp hen Dev. You got nice and close for that shot!

Thanks robwill. He did let me get closer than I expected. They are normally very flighty.

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

I don't think we can go past this challenge without including the Eastern Spinebill.

mpb
mpb's picture

This is how I use my beak.

Mark

Reflex
Reflex's picture

They are handy for preening as well......

Samford Valley Qld.

Annie W
Annie W's picture

The long pointy beak of a White-faced Heron.

West Coast Tasmania

Annie W
Annie W's picture

I'm losing track of all these beaut posts, just saw your Wedgie Reflex, just love them, spectacular capture!

West Coast Tasmania

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

Popular topic this week good stuff!

Female White-throated Treecreeper with some goodies for the chicks.

Reflex
Reflex's picture

Thanks Annie.I woke up at silly o'clock again last Sunday morning and couldn't resist this silhouette shot of an Ibis. Very distinctive bill even in this light.

Samford Valley Qld.

Rick N
Rick N's picture

I think for the size of the bird, finches beaks are impressive.

robwill
robwill's picture

The shiny menaceing beak of a juvenille crow.

Juvenille Crow. by robwill4, on Flickr

Rob. 

Reflex
Reflex's picture

The Tawny Grassbird has a bill nothing like a finch's or a crow, or a honeyeater but just right for picking up insects.

Samford Valley Qld.

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Beaks can get a little sticky cheeky

West Coast Tasmania

Rick N
Rick N's picture

Reflex, Isn't that a Golden Cisticola? wink

Rick N
Rick N's picture

Forest Ravens beak looks the goods.

Reflex
Reflex's picture

Rick N wrote:

Reflex, Isn't that a Golden Cisticola? wink

laughlaughlaugh....very similar bird Rick.cheeky

Samford Valley Qld.

Topic locked
 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube