Pet Connection: Bird's beak an amazing, formidable tool

The beak of a bird is a tool with many features. It's a weapon that can put a dent in any enemy or damage the relationship with a friend. It can be a delicate tool for feeding a newly hatched chick or for the precise adjustment of feathers while grooming. With their beaks, birds can pick a lock, crush a walnut or peel the skin off a grape.

Beak shapes and sizes vary widely, depending mostly on the kind of food a certain species eats. The short, straight bill of canaries and other finches is ideal for plucking out seeds, grubs and other edibles. Birds of the parrot family – including budgies, cockatiels and the larger parrots such as macaws – are known as "hookbills," because of the shape and function of their beaks.

At its most basic, the beak on our pet parrots consists of two hard structures, the upper and lower mandibles, along with an amazingly agile and strong tongue.

The beaks of most parrots are remarkably well-designed for one of their most important tasks: cracking, crushing, prying or otherwise destroying the protective coatings around many of the foods they like to eat.

Like everything else on a creature designed for flight, the beak is surprisingly lightweight considering its strength – a hard shell of constantly growing material (similar to that found on antlers) placed over a hollow bony structure.

If a beak were made of solid bone, its weight would probably force a bird to spend its life on the ground, and on its nose.

Lightweight it may be, but the hookbill's beak also is very strong. Although a person would need a hammer or nutcracker to get through hard shells to the nut meat, a bird needs only its beak – and perhaps a foot to hold the nut in place. A parrot will rotate the seed to find the seam with its tongue, apply pressure to crack it at this weak spot, and then rotate it again to slide the meat free – all in a few seconds.

A parrot has such strength in its beak that owners are often surprised to see even the bars of a metal cage fall victim. Birds have been known to pick off the welds holding bars together – and sometimes get lead or zinc poisoning as a result – or even snap the bars themselves. That's why a cheap cage with shoddy construction will turn out to be no bargain when faced with the destructive abilities of a bird.

Contrary to advice that still can be found in books or on the Internet, beak trims should not be a part of routine health maintenance for birds. Although beaks constantly grow at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per year, depending on the species, the beak of a healthy bird will remain at a healthy length with normal chewing activities.

Overgrowth of the beak is frequently a sign of illness, such as liver disease or malnutrition. Any bird whose beak seems to be too long needs to see a veterinarian expert in avian medicine to determine the cause of the problem and treat it accordingly.

Using those beaks often is essential to both the physical and emotional well-being of birds. Even finches and canaries often will have better beak health if you provide cuttlebone or another hard material for them to work with their beaks while in their cage.

As a caring bird owner, be sure you're doing more for your bird's beak than just admiring its amazing form and function. Provide your pet bird with lots of things to chew on, an unending variety of toys and perches meant to be gleefully destroyed.

Q&A

Anesthesia safer even for old pets

Q: We have a cockapoo with bad breath and, the veterinarian says, rotting teeth and gums. She wants us to put our girl under and remove some teeth and clean the rest. We are worried about the risks of anesthesia at her age, 12. It seems it would be better to take our chances with bad teeth. Cheaper, too. What do you think?

A: Would you like to chew with rotting teeth and infected gums? Bet not. It's painful! Not to mention that poor dental health and the shower of bacteria from infections in the mouth deteriorate overall health and can shorten your pet's life span.

About the writer:

• Gina Spadafori and veterinarian Marty Becker's column appears Saturdays in Home & Garden. They are authors of several best-selling pet-care books. E-mail them at petconnection@gmail.com or visit www.petconnection.com. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/spadafori or www.spadafori.com.