[EBB Sightings] The thrasher beak

On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:22:10 -0700 (PDT), Phila Rogers

> I've read that they use their beak to "sweep" off leaf litter in search of food and even use it as a tool to probe for edibles, but why the deep curve?

The California Thrasher and related species forage by digging in the dirt.
I believe the extreme curvature of the bill is an adaptation for digging. 

Other species, such as the Brown Thrasher do a lot of leaf-tossing and have
a less curved bill. 

-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA        jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu 
SF Birding Classes start Sept. 15  http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
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Western Field Ornithologists       http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/