Beak Guide
Tearing
Some birds eat meat but don’t have
teeth to chew their food. They need a
powerful beak to tear off tiny pieces of
meat, as well as tough skin and fur.
Tearing beaks are sharp and usually
have a hook at the end.
Cracking
Some birds eat nuts and seeds but need
to break open their tough shells.
Cracking beaks are thick and strong,
and birds with bigger beaks can eat
bigger nuts and seeds.
Poking
Some birds eat things like worms and
bugs that are buried underground.
Poking beaks are long and thin so they
can quickly dig under the ground or
tree bark and pull out their food.
Straining
Birds that live in the water have tiny
comb-like ridges at the edge of their
beak so that they can catch little fish
and bugs swimming by. Straining beaks
are long and flat with tiny teeth.
Multipurpose
Some birds eat lots of different things,
like nuts, insects, or even garbage! These
birds need a beak that helps them hold
and eat different foods. Multipurpose
beaks are long and thick.
Bird Guide
Information adapted from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds
American Robin
Habitat: Fields and forests
Appearance: Large, yellow beak and bright red belly.
Diet: Berries and worms
Call: High pitched peeping that sounds like someone laughing.
Fun facts: Robins have great eyesight and are most active in
the morning!
Type of beak: __________________
Northern Cardinal
Habitat: Fields and the edges of forests
Appearance: Bright red with black face feathers. Distinctive
mohawk.
Diet: Seeds and nuts
Call: Loud metallic call like a car alarm.
Fun facts: Though males are bright red females are pale brown.
Type of beak: _________________
American Crow
Habitat: Can live anywhere but prefer places with lots of
people such as cities and towns
Appearance: Completely black feathers
Diet: Insects, fruit, garbage, nuts, meat.
Call: High pitched, nasal caw.
Fun facts: Crows are incredibly intelligent birds that have been
known to use tools and can communicate with other crows.
Type of beak: __________________
Turkey Vulture
Habitat: Fields, suburbs and roadsides
Appearance: Large, brown feathers and bald pink head. White
underwing
Diet: Dead animals and roadkill
Call: Usually silent but make a cat like hiss.
Fun facts: Turkey vultures have some of the largest nostrils
and one of the strongest sense of smell of any bird!
Type of beak: __________________
Mallard Duck
Habitat: Ponds, lakes and marshes
Appearance: Brown feathers and orange webbed feet.
Diet: Underwater plants and insects
Call: A quack that starts loud but slowly becomes softer.
Fun facts: Male mallard ducks will develop green head
feathers in the spring to attract females!
Type of beak: __________________
Common Grackle
Habitat: Fields, meadows and cities
Appearance: Black with glossy purple and bronze feathers
Diet: Corn, acorns, meat, garbage
Call: Hoarse whistle that sounds like a rusty gate.
Fun Facts: Grackle’s will let ants crawl over their bodies that
will eat any parasites that may hide in their feathers!
Type of beak:__________________
Downy Woodpecker
Habitat: Woodlands, edge of forests, parks.
Appearance: Black with a white belly. Red spot on back of head.
Diet: Insects
Call: Quick high pitched pik sound.
Fun Facts: Woodpeckers have spiked tongues that are so long
they wrap around the back of their skulls!
Type of beak:___________________
Red-Tailed Hawk
Habitat: Open woodlands, parks, fields and pastures.
Appearance: Large with a red tail. Mostly pale below with a
darker belly band.
Diet: Voles, mice, rabbits, squirrels.
Call: Hoarse, screaming kee-eeeee-arr.
Fun facts: Whenever you hear a hawk or eagle in a movie, it is
almost always the sound of a red-tailed hawk.
Type of beak: ____________________
Canada Goose
Habitat: Lakes rivers and ponds
Appearance: Brown with black head feathers and white chin
feathers.
Diet: Aquatic plants and grass
Call: A loud horn like honk.
Fun facts: Geese are incredible flyers and can fly 1200 miles in a
single day!
Type of beak:___________________
House Finch
Habitat: Towns, lawns, small conifers, barns.
Appearance: Small with a conical bill. Streaky brown body and
males have rosy red around face and upper chest.
Diet: Seeds, buds and fruits.
Call: Long, jumbled warbling song with short notes.
Fun facts: The oldest known House Finch was an eleven-year-
old female!
Type of beak:_________________
Now it’s your turn!
If you were to make your own bird what would it look like? What would it eat and how
would it get its food? What color would it be and why? Draw it below!
Just like these birds had different adaptations yours should to!
Birds name:_____________________
Habitat: ________________________
Diet:___________________________
Call:__________________________
Fun Facts:______________________
Beak Type
Answer Key
American Robin: Poking beak
Northern Cardinal: Cracking beak
American Crow: Multipurpose beak
Turkey Vulture: Tearing beak
Mallard Duck: Straining beak
Common Grackle: Multipurpose beak
Downy Woodpecker: Poking beak
Red-tailed Hawk: Tearing beak
Hooded Merganser: Straining beak
House Finch: Cracking beak
