15 Birds With Unbelievable Beaks

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of 15
Long-Billed Curlew
A long-billed curlew walks along the beach
USFWS Pacific Southwest Region / Flickr / CC By 2.0

The long-billed curlew is a North American shorebird that spends winters on the coast and breeds in grasslands. Its long bill is adapted for both places, catching shrimp and crabs living in deep burrows in tidal mudflats, and also snatching up earthworms in pastures. The bill is one of the longest of any shorebird, rivaling that of the far eastern curlew. The female has a longer bill than the male, and hers has a slightly different shape. While the male's bill curves along its entire length, hers is slightly flatter on top with a more pronounced curve at the tip.
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