Bird beaks have a variety of shapes and purposes. Here are the most common bird beak types to look for and how they help birds find food.

Notice the different types of beaks and how their shapes dictate a bird’s dining habits — particularly the way it consumes black oil sunflower seeds, a highly preferred food among feeder birds.

Further study of their beaks and food-gathering behaviour could help conserve some of these birds, many of which are at threat of extinction. The results are reported in the journal Biology Letters.

The beak is large yet very thin, and the lower mandible extends past the upper mandible, making it ideal for how this bird catches food.

Further study of their beaks and food-gathering behaviour could help conserve some of these birds, many of which are at threat of extinction. The results are reported in the journal Biology Letters.

The digitisation of thousands of bird specimens is being used to try and explain some of the reasons behind our planet’s extraordinary diversity.

The bird, which is capable of killing members of its own species, is highly threatened by human activity.

A bird’s beak colour can change due to various factors like age, diet, hormones, or seasonal changes. For example, some birds develop brighter beaks during mating season to attract partners.

Few people have the tenacity of ecologists Peter and Rosemary Grant, willing to spend part of each year since 1973 in a tent on a tiny, barren volcanic island in the Galapagos. Even fewer would ...