Birds eat almost every kind of food, but not all birds eat the same things. Your best clues as to what a bird eats are its bill and feet. Bills are dining utensils. They can work like hammers, chisels, pincers, nutcrackers, hooks, spears, or even strainers.
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Anna's Hummingbirds have long, tubular bills that resemble straws, which they use to sip nectar from flowers. |
| Acorn Woodpeckers have a strong, long, chisel-like bill to make holes in oak trees. |
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Vermilion Flycatchers have a wide bill surrounded by a net of bristles that works to funnel flying insects into it's mouth while the flycatcher is in the air. |
| Mergansers have a long bill with serrated edges and a hooked point, adapted for grabbing fish. |
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The edges of a Mallard's bill are fringed to strain plants, seeds, and small animals from mud and water. |
| Western Meadowlarks use their long pointed bills to probe for insects in the ground. |
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The Evening Grosbeak has a thick, conical beak, which is necessary for opening the hard outer shells of seeds to reach the nutritious interior. |
| Eagles tear prey, such as mice, into bite-sized pieces with their strong, hooked bills. |
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Many shore birds have long, thin probing bills. These bills come in a variety of sizes to jab at different depths in the muck, allowing many species to live together without directly competing for food. |
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