Sandpiper Bills

Many sandpipers have sensitive nerve receptors in their bill tips, so they can find unseen prey through touch, odor, and pressure changes – and so, feed even at night. This Long-billed Curlew (in back) sports a slender, down-curved bill that may reach nine inches long. The Bar-tailed Godwit (in front) probes dee ply, sometimes even putting its head under water.
Take a field trip with your local Audubon, and see what you can find. Start here.

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