The long beak is used to reach deep into flowers and protects the bird s tongue which sucks up the nectar. Many shorebirds like sandpipers, snipes, and curlews also have long, slightly thin beaks. The tips of the beaks are very sensitive, allowing them to probe deep into mud, sand, or water for worms and other small invertebrates. The large, sharp, hooked beaks of hawks, eagles, owls, and vultures are used for tearing meat making them able to have a diet of birds, fish, mice, and other small animals. Some beaks function like dip-nets.
Pelicans have beaks that are long, flat, and straight with a small hook at the end.
Beneath the lower part of the bill is a large fold of skin that can expand into a deep pouch that fills with water as the pelican scoops up its food. The pouch contracts letting out the water and allowing the pelican to swallow only the fish. The long, thick beaks of toucans are helpful for picking the fruit off of branches which are hard to reach. Now imagine you ate nothing but vegetable soup. Bird feet provide good clues about the environment in which a bird lives, and how it finds food there.