Beak of birds: structure (photo)

Birds are one of the most amazing representatives of the animal world. Despite the general layout of the building, they are all very diverse. And the beak of birds is no exception. In our article we will consider the features of its structure in representatives of different taxonomic 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:

• The body has a streamlined shape;
• The forelegs are modified into wings;
• Presence of a feather cover;
• Hollow bones, as well as the presence of a keel - the projection of the sternum;
• Double breath;
• Warm-bloodedness.

Structure of the bird's beak

The "calling card" of each species is its beak. The photo of birds' beaks in our article proves this again. At the eagle it is bent down, at the goose - flat and equipped with special denticles, and at the swallow is thin and sharp. Beak of birds - this is the jaw. Their bone tissue is covered with horny substance, which in its chemical composition resembles human hair and nails. At the base of the upper part of the beak are the nostrils through which air enters the body.

If to compare functional features of jaws of the person and birds it is possible to tell that at last they differ a wide variety and specialization. This is not only an adaptation for the extraction and ingestion of food. With the help of the beak, birds get the building material for the nests, build their own dwellings, rely on climbing. Some aquatic birds use it as a seedling.

Which bird has a beak

Folk wisdom says: "Every bird with its beak is full". And this is not accidental. The shape, length and size of the beak are really determined by the way the food is harvested and its nature.

For example, an ibis is a bird with a long beak. Thanks to this structure, it can extract any living creatures from shallow water or from the soil. Everyone knows the beak of the pelican. From the bottom, it has a leathery bag that the bird uses to catch fish. And woodpeckers use a beak as a chisel, with which it makes holes in the bark of trees. So the bird extracts insects and their larvae.

By way of nutrition and the features of the life of birds can be combined into several groups. Let's look at each of them and their corresponding types of beaks in more detail.

"Predatory" beak

Birds of this group are of considerable size and are capable of a "soaring" flight. This feature allows them to track down prey in the open area. Then the predators fly down and stab into their prey sharp claws. Their beak has a curved shape and is very sharp. Therefore vultures, eagles, hawks and falcons easily tear the meat of the loot into 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 chop and grind food.

But gagarobraznye, which are also representatives of waterfowl, have a pointed beak. These birds feed on a small fish, which is extracted during diving.

Snipe is a bird with a long beak. It lives in swamps, taking out small vertebrates from the mud. This beak also has a heron, which allows it to hold the fish. She is considered a waterbird, as she has no coccygeal gland. This feature does not allow her to swim and dive.

Carnivorous birds

Bullfinches and goldfinches prefer seeds, kidneys and berries as favorite delicacies. Therefore, their beak is short, but thick. This feature allows grain-eating birds not to make significant efforts in obtaining food.

Absorption of seeds occurs in them in different ways. For example, representatives of chickens swallow them, not crushing them. They have a well-developed muscular stomach and goiter in which chemical processing of food occurs for several hours.

Reel with the help of the beak not only collect the seeds. These birds first cleanse them from inedible peels, and then crush the core, chopping food. Such a process is possible thanks to a massive beak with a sharp tip and developed muscles.

Birds that swallow seeds completely, contribute to their spread. When passing through the intestine, they practically do not lose their ability to germinate, and often even increase this quality.

Get acquainted: insectivorous

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, thrushes, flycatchers, Orioles, cuckoos.

Especially the large amount of food they consume during the feeding of offspring. In this case insectivorous birds destroy malicious pests of agriculture: leaf beetles, moths, horsetails, aphids. They collect their food in soil, grass, bushes.

Ecologists believe that it is the activity of birds that prevents harmful insects from multiplying in catastrophic forms. Interesting is the fact that under favorable conditions insectivores can change food preferences. This is very important in the development of certain types of pests. Therefore, there is a regularity: if a large number of birds appear within the range, then there is an intensive reproduction of insects, and vice versa.

It should be noted that birds with different types of beaks have additional features that allow them to extract food. Predators have wide wings that provide a "floating" flight, and sharp claws. And grains eaters have well-developed muscles.

Thus, the beak of birds corresponds to the nature of food and the way it is extracted. According to the peculiarities of birds, they are united into several groups:

• Predatory - they have a powerful, bent downward beak. This allows them to attack prey, hold and tear it.
• Waterfowl - include birds with two kinds of beaks. The first of them is flat and equipped with an apparatus for grinding food. The second one is acute and long, allowing to search for vertebrates in water.
• Carnivorous - have a short but very powerful beak. They develop great strength when crushing seeds and fruits.
• Insectivores are characterized by a sharp and thin beak. This allows you to get food from the most inaccessible places.