Busy Birds, Busy Beaks

By Stephen R. Swinburne • Illustrated by Katharine Dodge

Beaks are tools for finding food.

Beaks peck at trees for yummy beetles and grubs.
Woodpeckers use their straight, pointed beaks to drill holes in trees. They poke their long, sticky tongues into the holes and drag out insects that live in the wood. Woodpeckers can be found in forests.

Beaks tug and pull, tug and pull until the worm lets go and . . . gulp!
The robin is a familiar bird. Robins nest on farms and in cities, towns, and forests. They are often seen running over lawns or golf courses. They use their slender beaks to pluck earthworms from the soil. Robins also eat berries and insects.

Beaks crunch nuts and munch them and have them for lunch.
There are hundreds of kinds of parrots in the world. Most parrots live in tropical forests and eat nuts, seeds, and fruits. Big, thick beaks help parrots crack and eat large, hard-shelled nuts.

Beaks dive deep into flowers for sugary nectar.
Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds. They fly so fast that their wings look blurred. Ruby-throated hummingbirds live in open areas where trees and gardens grow. Hummingbirds lap nectar from flowers using the long, thin tongues in their needle-like beaks.

Beaks dabble in the muck for weeds and tasty bugs.
Mallards are ducks that live near rivers, lakes, and marshes. Mallards “tip up” to feed off the bottom. They use their short, flat bills to eat seeds, grass, insects, and even small pond animals.

Beaks sift the water, slurping down seafood soup.
Flamingos live in salty lagoons. Their beaks look bent and are lined with little ridges. Flamingos wade through shallow pools with their heads underwater. They use their beaks as filters to strain small creatures out of the water.

Beaks snatch fidgety frogs and lazy lizards, bumbling beetles and snoozing snakes.
Crows are found in open and wooded land over almost the entire United States. Their beaks are strong and sharp, and crows will eat almost anything—insects, dead animals, lizards, frogs, eggs, young birds, garbage, or corn on the cob.

Beaks scoop a bucket of sea and, if they are lucky, a bucket of fish.
Pelicans are large birds that are found along seacoasts and the shores of inland lakes. Pelicans have long, flat beaks with huge throat pouches. They use their beaks like fishing nets to scoop fish from the water.