Hummingbirds belong to the family Trochilidae, native to only the Americas. They are the third largest bird family, right after the tyrant flycatchers and tanagers, consisting of 363 species in 112 genera. They occur as far north as Alaska and as far south as Tierra del Fuego, though the highest concentration can be found in…
Even within the same family, related species can have a vastly different appearance. One of the parts of a bird that can vary is their beaks, since the shape has evolved around their primary food source. One group that this can be seen in are finches. Pine siskins, a small boreal finch, have thin beaks,…
A bird’s beak can have different components to it depending on the species or bird family. On gull species, where the two lateral plates of the lower mandible connect towards the tip of the beak form a ridge or bulge called the gonydeal expansion. This bulge also causes a bump out on the lower mandible…
Beaks are an important part of a birds anatomy. Like many of the parts of a bird, they have evolved and adapted to help them survive in their chosen environment and niche. They are key to helping a species thrive by making the most of the food available to them. Just as there is a…