Latest Beak Stories
New investigation of tissues and signaling pathways in finches' beaks reveals surprising flexibility in the birds' evolutionary toolkit It has long been known that diversity of form and function in birds' specialized beaks is abundant. Charles Darwin famously studied the finches on the Galapagos Islands, tying the morphology (shape) of various species' beaks to the types of seeds they ate. In 2010, a team of Harvard biologists and applied mathematicians showed that Darwin's finches all...
Biologists and engineers team up to unlock the secret to the hummingbird's 'snap-buckling' beakThe shape of a hummingbird's beak allows for a "controlled elastic snap" that allows it to snatch up flying insects in a mere fraction of a second "”with greater speed and power than could be achieved by jaw muscles alone, says a new study in a forthcoming issue of Journal of Theoretical Biology.Hummingbird beaks are built to feed on flowers, but hummingbirds can't live on nectar alone....
The mystery of the mass animal death epidemic deepens after 8,000 turtle doves fall dead in Italy with strange blue stains on their beaks.Initial testing of the stains is believed to be a sign of poisoning or hypoxia -- lack of oxygen that is a sign of altitude sickness. Hypoxia is known to cause confusion and illness in animals. Experts said full test results may not be available for at least a week.Thousands of dead turtle doves littered roofs and cars in the Italian town of Faenza in what...
Scaling and shear link morphology, genotype and developmental geneticsFrom how massive humpbacks glide through the sea with ease to the efficient way fungal spores fly, applied mathematicians at Harvard have excavated the equations behind a variety of complex phenomena.The latest numerical feat by Otger Campàs and Michael Brenner, working closely with a team of Harvard evolutionary biologists led by Arhat Abzhanov, zeroes in on perhaps the most famous icon of evolution: the beaks of...
The toucan's large, colorful, iconic beak actually has a surprising purpose: it cools down the bird's body.According to an Associated Press report, the bill of the Toco Toucan comprises one-third of its body measurement lengthwise and ornithologists have long pondered over the reason for the appendage.Several scientists wondered if the beak was used to attract mates.Perhaps it is used to peel and tear apart fruit. Maybe the beak is used as a weapon, or, a word of warning to other toucans.A...
A team of volunteers in Idaho plans to attach a prosthetic beak to a disfigured eagle found in the wild.When the eagle, named Beauty, was discovered in an Alaskan landfill in 2005, most of her upper beak had been shot off. She was literally starving to death, caretakers said, because she could no longer tear at her food.For two years, Beauty was hand fed at a bird recovery center in Anchorage. Caretakers had hoped to see her beak re-develop, but it no progress was seen, and in 2007 she was...
How did nature make the squid's beak super hard and sharp "“"“ allowing it, without harm to its soft body "“"“ to capture its prey? The question has captivated those interested in creating new materials that mimic biological materials. The results are published in this week's issue of the journal Science.The sharp beak of the Humboldt squid is one of the hardest and stiffest organic materials known. Engineers, biologists, and marine scientists at the University of California, Santa...
Latest Beak Reference Libraries
The Long-billed Corella, Cacatua tenuirostris, is a cockatoo native to Australia. The species has a small distribution, and usually inhabits woodlands, river banks and farming land. The Corella may also inhabit urban areas. The Corella is mostly white, with a pink face and forehead. They also have faintly pink feathers on the breast and belly, and yellow on the underside of the wings and tail. The birds have a long white beak, which is used to dig for roots and seeds.
