Thrive, Survive, or Starve? An Exploration of Bird Beaks

As part of our study of birds, we have been looking at the different forms and functions of bird beaks. A bird's bill (as well as its feet) are adapted to help it get the food it needs - meat, fruit, insects, plants, seeds, fish, etc. Many tools in our toolboxes or kitchen mimic the functions of these beaks - pliers, chopsticks, straws, nutcrackers, strainers, tongs. We put these tools out at tables surrounding a food source (okay, a simulated food source) and had kids try their hands at obtaining the particular type of food with their tool. Would they gather enough food to thrive? To squeak by and survive? Or would they starve?

The kids were given 30 seconds to see how much food they could gather using their tool. Only one tool at each table really "fit" the food there. Another tool would possibly gather enough food to get by (as some of our switch-hitter birds do when they cannot get their preferred food). Most tools though would be of little use and that little birdie would end up with no food.  The groups traveled from table to table where many tools remained the same, but a new food source would be presented which required a different tool. Some kids got wise to this and as they rotated to different tables tried to rush to the tool they predicted would be the most successful.

At one table were narrow necked bottles filled with water simulating nectar that a hummingbird would drink. The winning tool there was the straw. Those handling the other tools like tongs, chopsticks, and nutcrackers were able to get no sustenance.

Another table had lego blocks in water, resembling fish and small water animals that a pelican or flamingo would be after. At this table, a beak like a sieve or strainer was your best bet for getting food though those with pliers or tongs might be able to scrape by.

The third table had a chunk of wood with thumbtacks pressed into it to act as fruit as well as a hollowed out thick branch stuffed with seeds to mimc insects. Kids discovered the tools for the job here were pliers to pluck off the thumbtack "fruit" and tweezers to pinch out the tiny seed "insects". Having a straw like beak at this table meant sure starvation!

The last table had a basin of shredded paper with a layer of small beans underneath. This simulated a layer of mud covering juicy worms! You needed a long, prying beak like that of a snipe to get at this nourishment, though tweezers might get you just enough to keep from starving.

By the end, the kids had experienced many different types of tool "beaks" and could see how important it is for a bird to have access to the food it was built to get. We did not include a meat tearing station for testing out our raptors' hooked beaks, but we did discuss these special beaks and how they help the predatory birds who have them.

A take-away they made was a paper wheel of different birds with an inner wheel of beaks that they could spin to try and line up with the correct bird, and see how strange the wrong bill looks when on a different bird.

Enjoy the pictures below of his fun leaning experience!