Rocket dumps his tool box on the workshop bench. Pliers, tweezers, a chisel, a scoop.
"Each tool has one best job," he says proudly.
Raven holds up her notebook. She has drawn four beaks next to four tools.
Nova projects the drawings in cyan light. "Birds carry their tools on their faces," she says. "Match them."
Birds do not have teeth. They have a beak, also called a bill.
A beak is a structure. Its function is to get food, and sometimes to build and clean.
Beak shape tells you a lot about what a bird eats.
A thin, pointed beak picks small insects out of cracks.
A short, thick, cone-shaped beak cracks seeds.
A hooked beak tears food into pieces. Hawks have hooked beaks.
A long, thin beak reaches deep into flowers for nectar. Hummingbirds have this kind.
A flat, wide beak scoops water and strains out food. Ducks have this kind.
| Beak shape | Works like | Food |
|---|---|---|
| thin and pointed | tweezers | small insects in cracks and leaves |
| short, thick cone | a nutcracker | seeds with hard shells |
| hooked | a tearing hook | meat, torn into pieces |
| long and thin | a drinking straw | nectar deep inside flowers |
| flat and wide | a strainer | small plants and animals in water |
| strong and chisel-shaped | a chisel | insects hidden under bark |
A beak is also a hand. Birds use it to carry sticks and grass for nests.
They use it to spread oil over their feathers.
They use it to feed their young and to scratch an itch.
Woodpeckers use a strong, chisel-shaped beak to chip into bark for insects.
One structure, many functions. That is common in nature.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Birds have teeth inside their beaks. | ? |
| A cone-shaped beak is good for cracking seeds. | ? |
| A beak is only used for eating. | ? |
| Beak shape gives clues about what a bird eats. | ? |
Tools on faces! Tomorrow you look at feet and eyes, then open your bird field guide.