Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: bizerl on 22/10/2013 02:57:46

Title: How do birds pick up multiple bugs at a time in their beak?
Post by: bizerl on 22/10/2013 02:57:46

I was gardening the other day and had a peewee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie-lark) wandering around collecting various small grubs and ants, then flying off.
I noticed it was able to hold several things in it's beak, but then it would peck down and come back up with yet another grub, without dropping the rest.

Does anyone know how they do this? are they just really quick?

Title: Re: How do birds pick up multiple bugs at a time in their beak?
Post by: RD on 22/10/2013 07:15:58

Quote from: bizerl on 22/10/2013 02:57:46

url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie-lark]peewee[/url

Larks have tongues which could be used to manipulate a food,

( some debate as to whether the meal "lark's tongues in aspic" was ever served ).

Title: Re: How do birds pick up multiple bugs at a time in their beak?
Post by: AlphBravo on 16/05/2020 11:09:27

The bird you saw probably had young ones and that is what it was probably doing, as most birds do not handle more than one insect at a time

Title: Re: How do birds pick up multiple bugs at a time in their beak?
Post by: evan_au on 18/05/2020 09:35:21

A somewhat related topic:
https://allhomosapienswelcome.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/how-do-puffins-hold-so-many-fish-in-their-mouth/