Bird Beaks & Their Uses
African Spoonbill
ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Threskiornithidae
GENUS: Platalea
SPECIES: alba
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND
HABITAT:
Lakes, marshes, rivers, estuaries of
Africa from Ethiopia to Kenya to South
Africa as well as the lowlands of
Madagascar.
DIET:
Insects, larva, shellfish
Lesser
Flamingo
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Locally common on alkaline lakes in East and
Central Africa, sometimes present in vast (up
to a million) numbers. Very infrequent in
coastal areas.
DIET:
Herbivorous, feeding solely on Spirulina
plantensis, one of the blue-green algae
growing within a very limited range of pH: 10.4
- 10.5. They are surface feeders filtering the
top inch or two of water where the spirulina is
to be found with the deep-keeled bill that is
specialized for very fine food particles. They
swim well and are able to forage over the
complete surface of a lake (the "swim and
skim" technique).
ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Phoenicopteridae
GENUS: Phoeniconaias
SPECIES: minor
Yellow-Naped
Amazon Parrot
ORDER: Psittaformes
FAMILY: Psittacidae
GENUS: Amazona
SPECIES: ochrocephala auropalliata
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Along Pacific slope of Central America from
eastern Oaxaca, southern Mexico, south to
north-western Costa Rica.
DIET:
Fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms, and
probably leaf buds.
Speckled Pigeon
ORDER: Columbiformes
FAMILY: Columbidae
GENUS: Columba
SPECIES: guinea
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Wide distribution from Senegal to Eritrea and
Tanzania. Also in South Africa north to Angola
and Zimbabwe. Inhabits open country,
cultivated regions and open woodland. Avoids
forest. Usually in areas where there are
Borassus palms or cliffs, rocky outcrops or
buildings where it roosts and builds its nest.
DIET:
Mainly a ground feeder. Feeds on seeds and
cultivated grain.
White-Faced
Whistling Duck
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Widespread in Africa from Gambia and
Ethiopia in the north to Natal and
Madagascar. Also in the West Indies and
South America. They occupy a wide range of
habitats: fresh water lakes, dams, reservoirs,
marshes, swamps, pans on flood plains,
sewage farms.
DIET:
Invertebrates such as aquatic insects,
mollusks and crustaceans as well as aquatic
plants, seeds and rice. Commonly obtain
food by diving.
ORDER: Anseriformes
FAMILY: Anatidae
GENUS: Dendrocygna
SPECIES: viduata
Griffon Vulture
ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Accipitridae
GENUS: Gyps
SPECIES: fulvus
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Widely distributed around the Mediterranean,
ranging east into India and south across the
savannas of Africa. Sometimes found as far
north as the Scandinavian countries. Prefers
barren areas with few trees, mountain steppes
and high plateaus.
DIET:
Feeds on large dead mammals, taking only
muscle meat and viscera. Their distended
crops and gizzards can hold over 13 pounds of
meat at a time.
Red-Billed Hornbill
ORDER: Bucerotiformes
FAMILY: Bucerotidae
GENUS: Tockus
SPECIES: erythrorhynchus
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
From Senegal right across Africa to Ethiopia
and Somalia and south to Kenya and Tanzania.
Also in South Africa, Botswana, Angola and
Mozambique. Favors open savanna, woodland
or thorn scrub.
DIET:
Obtains almost all food on the ground while
running about. Feeds largely on insects beetles, grasshoppers, termites, ants, fly
larvae. Also takes geckos, birds' eggs and
nestlings and scavenges dead rodents.
Hammerkop
ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Scopidae
GENUS: Scopus
SPECIES: umbretta
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
South and Central Africa, South Arabia,
lowland Madagascar. Shallow fresh water,
lakes, ponds, and marshes.
DIET:
Hammerkops feed on frogs, fish and
invertebrates.
Egyptian Goose
ORDER: Anseriformes
FAMILY: Anatidae
GENUS: Alopochen
SPECIES: aegyptiacus
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND
HABITAT:
Inhabits Africa south of the Sahara,
the Nile Valley, and southern Israel.
Common anywhere except deep
forest and desert, usually near water,
sometimes on open plains. The only
species of Shelduck found north of
the equator.
DIET:
Feeds on crops and young grass.
Chestnut Mandibled
Toucan
ORDER: Piciformes
FAMILY: Ramphastidae
GENUS: Ramphastos
SPECIES: swainsonii
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Humid forest edge. Lowlands to 2000 meters
in Central and NW South America (Honduras to
western Ecquador).
DIET:
Primarily fruit and berries, but supplemented
with large insects, small reptiles and
amphibians, as well as the eggs and young of
other birds.
Blue & Yellow Macaw
ORDER: Psittaciformes
FAMILY: Psittacidae
GENUS: Ara
SPECIES: ararauna
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Panama and South America to northern
Argentina. Inhabits forests and tall palms
growing in swamps or along water courses.
DIET:
Seeds, fruits, nuts and probably vegetable
matter.
King Penguin
ORDER: Sphenisciformes
FAMILY: Spheniscidae
GENUS: Aptenodytes
SPECIES: patagonicus
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT: King
Penguins breed on the Subantarctic islands at
the northern reaches of Antarctica, as well as
Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, and
other temperate islands of the region.
DIET: King penguins eat small fish mainly
lanternfish and squid and rely less than most
Southern Ocean predators on krill and other
crustaceans.
Magellanic Penguin
ORDER: Sphenisciformes
FAMILY: Spheniscidae
GENUS: Spheniscus
SPECIES: magellanicus
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT: The
Magellanic Penguin is a South American
penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile
and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating
to Brazil.
DIET: Magellanic Penguins feed in the water,
preying on cuttlefish, sardines, squid, krill,
and other crustaceans.
Can you
match
the beak
with the
food it
catches?