Humans and other primates use their hands to interact with the world around them, while birds use their beaks.
Some birds have unique touch-sensitive spots on their beaks that help them find food. However, scientists haven’t studied this much, so they don’t know how it evolved or how common it is among different bird species.
An international team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, studied over 350 species of modern birds and found that seabirds- including penguins and albatrosses- have a high density of sensory receptors and nerves at the tip of their beaks, which has been previously identified in specialized tactile foragers such as ducks.
These susceptible regions in their beaks could be used to help them find food. This is the first time this ability has been identified in seabirds.
Researchers think the touch-sensitive area on bird beaks might have come from a common ancestor. They believe more studies are needed to determine if it helps modern birds in specific ways. Learning about how these birds use their beaks to find food could also help protect them, especially since many are at risk of extinction.
Austrodyptornithes is one of the large groups of seabirds that have yet to be well studied. This group includes albatrosses, petrels, and penguins. Many bird species in this group are critically endangered, so understanding how they use their beaks to find food could help with their conservation.
Researchers studied 361 modern bird species. They looked at fossil records and birds accidentally caught in fishing lines and nets. They focused on the structure of the beaks and how they connect to nerves and blood vessels.
The researchers discovered that albatrosses and penguins have many sensory receptors and nerves in their beaks. This feature is usually found in specialized foragers like ducks, but this is the first time scientists have seen such functionality in seabirds.
Lead author Dr Carla du Toit from Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences said, “Seabirds aren’t known to be tactile foragers, so it’s surprising to find that they have this organ. It’s fascinating to be the first to see something.”
These touch-sensitive beaks might enable birds to detect tiny vibrations from potential prey. Some birds already known to have touch-sensitive beaks use them to detect tiny underground vibrations from worms, for example.
Du Toit said, “Much further work is needed, but if albatrosses and other seabirds can detect vibrations from potential prey via their beaks, it could be possible to attach some sort of device to longlines that repel them, so they are less likely to get caught.”
“Of course, the bigger threats to birds like albatrosses are climate change, rising ocean temperatures, plastic pollution, and falling fish stocks, but if there’s a way to reduce the risks to seabirds in even a small way, that’s incredibly valuable. These are such special birds, and I’ve been interested in them for as long as I can remember.”
Journal Reference:
- Carla J. du Toit et al. ‘Tactile bill-tip organs in seabirds suggest conservation of a deep avian symplesiomorphy.’ Biology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0259
