Anatomy 7 - Shoreline Gallery of Bills

 

Illustration by Ralph Scott

"Getting along between the Tides"

North Shore Magazine, September 3, 1977

My eyes were first opened to the subtle distinctions among birds' bills in an article by local master naturalist Ralph Scott. The question he pondered was, "How could so many species feed in harmony in the same small intertidal space?" His answer lay in the various species' physical adaptations to the environment, a matter of anatomy as well as behavior.

Greater Yellowlegs

Over time I've seen all his illustrated species in or around Halibut Point, though it's not their usual habitat. The Greater Yellowlegs has a long recurved bill (curving slightly upwards) typically useful for deep probing in mud flats, so it doesn't usually frequent our rocky shore. This photo shows a sandy spot at very low tide in Folly Cove.

Black-bellied Plover

The stout bill of the Black-bellied Plover enables it to push aside pebbles in search for mollusks and crustaceans.

Semi-palmated Plover

The delicately proportioned Semi-palmated Plover forages for tiny prey with its little sticker bill as the waters recede along the shoreline.

Least Sandpipers

Least Sandpipers are adept at probing within fissures and barnacle masses with their needle-like decurved bills for small invertebrates waiting out the return of the tidal protection.

White-winged Scoter

Many of our maritime diving ducks have stout bills for prying mollusks and crustaceans from the ocean bottom.

Razorbills

The bills of some of the alcids, like Puffins and Razorbills, are flattened on both sides. a peculiarity that evidently helps them in bringing a number of small fish to the surface.

Red-breasted Merganser

One of our premier fishing ducks has teeth-like serrations along its mandibles to grasp slippery prey.

King Eider

The most beautiful, bizarre, and desirable of local shoreline sights comes in a rare winter encounter with a male King Eider. The frontal shield of its bill is largely made up of fat. Otherwise it is constructed like the scoters for prying loose such prizes as mussels and crabs.