Have you ever wondered why the bill or sometimes referred to as the “beak” are different shaped for each species of bird? Well, the answer lies within their diet.
Each bill has evolved to best suit their prey. Seed eating birds like the monk parakeet pictured generally have much thicker bills so that they don’t break while cracking shells open. Birds like flycatchers or insect eating birds will have a much thinner bill to assist with more accurate prey catching. As you see in the picture of the prothonotary warbler with the cricket, it allows the warbler to be very quick and accurate.
Shorebirds, like this bar-tailed godwit, have long bills to help them probe deep in the soil to find marine worms that hide in the sand. The shorebirds have very sensitive bills to help them detect prey that they cannot see!
Check your yard out and see if you can identify what kind of birds you have to best determine the food to provide them!