Researchers have found that seabirds, such as penguins and albatrosses, possess highly sensitive areas in their beaks that may assist them in locating food. This marks the first time this trait has been recognized in seabirds.
Researchers have revealed that seabirds, including penguins and albatrosses, have delicate sensory regions in their beaks that can facilitate their search for food. This is the first instance of this capability being identified in seabirds.
A global team of scientists, spearheaded by the University of Cambridge, investigated over 350 bird species and discovered that seabirds have a significant concentration of sensory receptors and nerves at the tips of their beaks. This feature was previously noted in specialized tactile foragers like ducks.
The researchers hypothesized that this touch-sensitive area may have originated from a common ancestor, requiring further investigation to establish if it serves a distinctive function in today’s birds. Understanding their beaks and food-collecting behavior could aid in the conservation of several seabird species, many of which face extinction. The findings are published in the journal Biology Letters.
Similar to how humans and other primates utilize their hands, birds engage with their environment using their beaks. Some birds have developed specialized sensitive zones at the ends of their beaks to help them forage for food; however, the evolution and scope of this ability remain largely unexamined.
“Scientists had largely assumed that most birds had sensitive beaks, but we hadn’t sufficiently explored whether this ability is widespread or confined to specific bird families,” explained lead author Dr. Carla du Toit of Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences.
One less-studied group is the vast category of seabirds known as Austrodyptornithes, which includes albatrosses, petrels, and penguins. Given that many species in this group are critically endangered, gaining insight into their food-finding techniques with their beaks could be an important factor for their conservation.
Du Toit and her colleagues from the UK and South Africa analyzed 361 modern bird species using fossil records and data from birds accidentally caught in fishing gear. Their focus was on the structure of the beaks and their connections to nerves and blood vessels.
They found that both albatrosses and penguins have organs rich in sensory receptors and nerves in their beaks, a characteristic more commonly found in specialized foragers like ducks. This marks the first observation of such a function in seabirds.
“Seabirds haven’t been recognized as tactile foragers, so discovering this organ is quite surprising,” du Toit noted. “It’s incredibly exciting to be the first to observe something like this.”
These sensitive beaks might enable seabirds to find food in darkness or underwater by detecting subtle vibrations from potential prey. Some known birds with touch-sensitive beaks use them to feel underground movements of worms, for instance.
However, it’s also possible that these sensitive regions are remnants from a shared ancestor, lacking a specific function in modern birds, akin to the beaks of ostriches and emus. More research involving live birds is necessary to clarify the precise role of these touch-sensitive areas and unearth how this ability evolved.
“In humans and other primates, our sensitive hands and fingers have allowed us to thrive in a variety of environments,” said du Toit. “In this regard, beaks function similarly to hands, but this is the first instance we’ve seen of touch-sensitive beaks in seabirds. It’s astonishing that such details haven’t been thoroughly examined before, especially since we learn about evolution via the beaks of Darwin’s finches in school.”
The team believes their discoveries could play a crucial role in conserving various seabird species. Out of the 22 identified albatross species, 15 are endangered, with two critically so. A significant threat to these birds comes from commercial longline fishing, which leads to the deaths of about 100,000 albatrosses each year due to entanglement and drowning. Du Toit suggests that gaining insight into these birds’ foraging habits could be instrumental in safeguarding them.
“There’s still a lot to investigate, but if albatrosses and other seabirds can sense vibrations from their prey through their beaks, we might develop devices to attach to longlines to keep them away from danger,” du Toit explained. “Certainly, larger issues like climate change, increasing ocean temperatures, plastic waste, and diminishing fish stocks continue to jeopardize seabirds, but if we can mitigate even some risks to these remarkable birds, that would be incredibly valuable. I’ve been fascinated by them for as long as I remember.”
This research received support from the Royal Society, the Newton International Fellowship, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
