Today tonight

[Bob Rusk <>]

Hi Geoff !

I've seen this done more than a couple of times with Bar-tailed Godwits when "yawning", but when you think about it, the bill would have to be flexible to enable the bird to feed. It would be virtually impossible to open their bills " chop stick fashion" for the intake of food when they are immersed in mud or sand to the full length. Obviously the lower half is flexible and sensitive enough to open at the extremities to enable them to take "prey" with a tweezer like action when detected. What do you reckon.

Bob

PS- No differences of opinion will be tolerated

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From: Geoffrey Dabb <>
To:
Sent: Saturday, 8 December 2012 8:17 PM
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Today tonight

Con  -  I have several shots illustrating the curious geometrics of this bird’s open bill.  I do not know what it was doing but Alastair and I speculated it might have been trying to eject something, and we discussed the upcurve of the upper mandible, evident to the naked eye.  (Alastair thought he might have read something about that …)  Clearly the bill is surprisingly flexible.  The below shot is not edited in any material respect. As to what the bird said, well I have had to do a little translating there ..

 

 

 

 

From: Con Boekel [m("boekel.com.au","con");" target="_blank" href="">]
Sent: Saturday, 8 December 2012 7:48 PM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank" href="">
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Today tonight

 

Geoffry
I hate to snipe at true art, but how come the top bill curves upwards the bottom bill is straight?
regards
Con

 On 8/12/2012 7:36 PM, Geoffrey Dabb wrote: