Mystery duck & bird beaks

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The Online Etymology Dictionary isn't much help.  It states that a bill is a bird's beak and a beak is a bird's bill!  I have always thought of bills as flat and long, and beaks as more rounded like a parrot's or bird of prey's.

 

Maurits Zwankhuizen

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 11:18 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Mystery duck & bird beaks

An astute suggestion from Mark. As for the question from Roger, "Is there a "scientific" distinction between a bill and a beak?"  I don't think there is, at least I haven't heard of one. Pure guess; could bill and beak be derived from different languages? My point was that Mallards (and most ducks) have a broad flat beak/bill, whereas Muscovy Ducks have a more peaked beak/bill (as does the Musk Duck for example). It is not a distinct difference, there are all kinds of variants, within the range. It is curious that the name of the platypus best commemorates this feature of ducks. Whilst the English name of the platypus means broad foot, its Latin name Ornithoryhnchus anatinus, means "bird beak ducklike" . Lastly, it was a Plumed Whistling-Duck that John Layton refers to below.

 

Philip