Types of bird beaks

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 12 February 2021
Update Date: 12 November 2024
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Birds have several characteristics that make them very attractive within the animal kingdom. One of them is the presence of a horny beak which forms the outermost part of the mouth of these animals. Unlike other vertebrate animals, birds do not have teeth and their beak is one of the many adaptations that allow their great success in different environments.

In turn, there are countless shapes that the beak can take and, contrary to what you might think, the beak is not exclusive to birds, as it is also present in other groups of animals (each with its own characteristics), such as turtles (Testudines), platypus (Monotremata), octopus, squid and cuttlefish (Octopoda). Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article in which we'll talk about the characteristics and types of birds beak.


Characteristics of birds' beaks

Birds have different adaptations in their bodies, one of which is the structure of their beaks in terms of their evolution according to the type of diet they follow, as well as their digestive system. The size, shape and strength of the beak will directly affect the bird diet. In addition, the beak dimensions may vary slightly, which may also influence the rate of food intake.

The birds' beak, in turn, together with the length of the legs and other bodily aspects, allows these animals explore different environments and features. In addition to its shape being conditioned by feeding, the beak also serves males of some species to attract the females, as is the case with toucans.

The beak forms the external structure of the bird's mouth and, like the rest of vertebrates, is composed of a lower jaw and an upper jaw, which is called the culmen and is lined with a horny layer (covered in keratin) called ranphotheca. This structure is what is seen from the outside and, in addition, there is an internal structure that supports it from the inside.


In addition to the birds' beak, you may be interested in knowing a little more about the characteristics of these animals in this other article about the characteristics of birds.

What are the types of bird beaks?

The beaks vary widely in shape and, therefore, we find different shapes within the types of birds. Below are some of them:

  • Curved and hooked (common in birds of prey)
  • spear-shaped (typical of some fishing waterfowl)
  • long and thin (among the long-beaked birds are waders or insectivores)
  • thick and short (present in granivorous birds)

Within these categories we can find generalist birds which are more practical in obtaining food and whose beak does not have a very specific shape. On the other hand, specialized birds have a very specific diet, as well as the shape of their beaks, which can have a very specialized structure. This is the case with some species of hummingbirds.


In specialized birds, we can find a wide variety of shapes. Next, we will mention the main groups.

Beaks of granivorous (or seed-consuming) birds

Granivorous birds have a very beak. short but robust, that allows them to open seeds with hard coatings, and so are birds are very specialized. Some of these species, such as the sparrow (passenger domesticus), for example, have a short, tapered tip that allows it to hold and break the seeds, a purpose it achieves because, in addition, the tips of its beak are sharp.

Other granivorous birds have beaks with extreme specialization, such as the cross-beak (Curvirostra loxia) which, as its name suggests, has mandible and jaw intertwined. This form is due to its almost exclusive diet, as it feeds on cones (or fruits) of conifers, from which it extracts seeds thanks to its beak.

On the other hand, for example, in the Fringillidae family there are many granivorous species whose beaks are robust and thick, like the common goldfinch (carduelis carduelis) and the palilla-de-laysan (Cantans telespiza), whose beak is very robust and strong, and its jaws are slightly crossed.

And speaking of bird's beak, in this other PeritoAnimal article you discover some of the endangered birds.

carnivorous bird beaks

Carnivorous birds feed on other birds and other animals or carrion, have pointed beaks and the jaw terminated in a hook, as this allows them to rip flesh from their prey and also prevents them from escaping when captured. This is the case of birds of prey during the day and at night (eagles, falcons, owls, etc.).

They can also have long and strong beaks, such as some waterfowl that have wide beaks that are too large to catch large amounts of fish, such as the pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) or the toe-in (Balaeniceps rex), which has a huge beak ending in a sharp hook and with which it can capture other birds, such as ducks.

Vultures also have beaks adapted to tear the flesh, although they are scavengers, and thanks to the sharp and sharp edges, manage to open their fangs.

Among the types of bird beaks that stand out in the animal kingdom for their beauty and that are also adapted to consume animal prey is the beak of toucans. These birds are associated with the consumption of fruits (which are also part of their diet), but they can capture the offspring of other birds or even small vertebrates with their powerful serrated tips.

frugivorous bird beaks

The frugivorous birds have short and curved nozzles, but with sharp points that allow them to open the fruit. Sometimes they also feed on seeds. For example, many parrots, macaws and parakeets (order Psittaciformes) have very robust beaks that end in sharp points, with which they can open large fleshy fruits and also extract the edible parts of the seeds.

As mentioned, the toucans (Piciformes order), with their large serrated tips imitating teeth, they can eat fruits of large size and with thick skins.

Other species of smaller size, such as blackbirds (genus turdus), the warblers (sylvia) or some wild turkeys (Crax fasciolate, for example) have shorter and smaller nozzles with edges that also have "teeth" that allow them to eat fruit.

Insectivorous bird beaks

The beaks of birds that eat insects are characterized by being thin and elongated. There are some variations within this category, for example, the woodpeckers (order Piciformes). They have a sharp and very strong beak that resembles a chisel, with which they cut the bark of the trees in search of the insects that live inside them. These birds also have a fully adapted skull to take heavy blows.

Other species hunt insects in flight and their beaks are thin and somewhat curved, like the bee-eater (Merops apiaster), or small and a little straighter, like the thrush (erithacus rubecula) or the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Others have more beaks flat, short and wide, such as the swifts (order Apodiformes) and the swallows (Passeriformes), which are aerial hunters.

shorebird beaks

Shorebirds are usually aquatic or live close to water, as they obtain their food from wetlands. have long, thin and very flexible nozzles, which allow them to submerge the tip of the nozzle in water or sand and look for the food (small molluscs, larvae, etc.) leaving the eyes out, without the need to submerge the whole head, as do for example the calidris, snipe and phalaropes (Scolopacidae).

Other nozzles adapted for this function are long and flat, like the spoonbill (platform ajaja), which wades through shallow waters in search of food.

Nectarivorous bird beaks

The beak of nectarivorous birds is exclusively adapted for suck the nectar from the flowers. The beaks of nectarivorous birds are very thin and elongated, in tube shape. Some species take this adaptation to an extreme because they have extremely long nozzles that allow access to flowers that other species cannot. A great example of long-beaked birds is the spade-billed hummingbird (ensifera ensifera), whose beak is extremely long and curved upwards.

Poultry Beaks

Filter birds are species that also inhabit areas flooded with water and whose beaks can have various shapes. They have certain adaptations that allow them filter food from water and, in general, they have beaks wide and curved down. For example, flamingos (order Phoenicopteriformes) are highly adapted for this role. Its beak is not asymmetrical, as the upper jaw is smaller than the lower one and is the one with mobility. In addition, it is slightly curved down and has lamellae on which the food it filters is retained.

Other filter feeders, such as ducks (order Anseriformes), have wider and flatter nozzles which also have coverslips to filter food from the water. In addition, these birds can also consume fish, so their beaks are equipped with small "teeth" that allow them to hold them when they fish.

Now that you are all about the different types of bird beaks and have seen that bird beak is not all the same, you may be interested in the flightless birds article - features and 10 examples.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of bird beaks, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.