When Mother Nature decides to specialize an animal, she does it with style. These birds have some of the most amazing beaks and bills in the avian kingdom. These beautiful beaks aren’t just for looks—these fashionable birds use their special bills to reach tall branches or elusive fish. Flashy and functional, these birds’ beaks all have flair.
15 Birds With Unbelievable Beaks
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Black Skimmer
black skimmer skimming
Dan Pancamo / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
The black skimmer has a truly unique bill among shorebirds, and really, among all North American birds. The bill is large yet very thin, and the lower mandible extends out past the upper mandible. These features make it ideal for how this bird catches food. As it flies, it dips the lower mandible into the water, skimming for fish. The razor-thin bill can slice through the water and, when it senses a fish, snaps the upper mandible down onto it. The skimmer is the only bird species in North and South America with such a foraging technique.
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