Feathered friends are born with the tools of the trade, differentiating each with a dinguished difference to prodding, spearing, or cracking seeds here are some of my favourites.
Grey Heron - (Ardea cinerea)
Long broad, pointed beak built for hunting down fish along with crustaceans or small life around water or in the water, wherever prey is moving so the Grey Heron is not far behind adapting movement to ensure itself a meal.
Red-billed Hornbill - (Tockus erythrorhynchus)
What a grand design to fill a diet that variety being omnivore, enjoying mainly insects, nuts, fruits or small rodents off the ground. This one was sighted at St Lucia Wetlands known now as iSimangaliso Wetlands Heritage Site in Northern Natal.
Remember Zazu in the Lion King film, well there you have it...
Cardinal Woodpecker - (Dendropicos fuscescens intermedius)
Drilling holes needs a sturdy strong beak to act like a chisel to get through. A long tongue assists in capturing it's diet of insects.
Woolly-necked Stork - (Ciconia episcopus)
Striking sword like beak to feed a diet of fish,lizards, snakes, molluscs, crabs, sizeable insects, putting that beak to work in water streams or on dry land slowly walking stabbing it's prey.
Hammerkop - Scopus umbretta
Head shaped like a hammer with curved bill for finishing touch to complete the name of the bird, it's all in the head and the beak.
Southern Banded Snake Eagle - (Circaetus fasciolatus)
The name gives the bird away, living mainly off of snakes, bigger snakes go down in biteable chunks, smaller snakes taken head first and swallowed. With a hooked beak for tearing flesh, a rare sighting at iSimangaliso Wetlands.
Black-collared Barbet - (Lybius torquatus)
Fruit eaters that regurgitate seed pits along with insects, lizards, frogs and vegetables. Exceptionally strong beak like pliers, with a notch at the tip,
I know since I once thought a baby was in trouble needing a helping hand, the hand was told very swiftly it does not like being handled....
Additional information sourced from Avibase or for more information St Lucia
All photography is my own. Any queries or requests please drop a comment below or make contact with me, have a wonderful day! Photography without tripod, go with the flow wherever life takes you. NB: Amateur photographer and bird watcher, keep smiling!
Thought for Today: "Only birds with long beaks can drink from deep pots." - African Proverb
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