By Greg Dunne                                             

November 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)-- One of a bird’s most necessary tools is their beak.  A bird’s beak, or bill, is what hands are to us humans. Birds use their beaks for many different reasons. The most logical and useful need for their bill is for gathering or eating food. However, there are so many different uses between the different species of birds. Some uses we may be familiar with are nest building, feeding their young and grooming. Another use that is so important in the bird world but of which we may just take for granted is communicating.  Just as we use our mouths, birds use their beaks to communicate. While some species of parrots can mimic human voices, most birds communicate using different noises and gestures such as chirping, clicking, and singing. Beaks are also used for climbing as well as being used as a weapon.