Beak or bill?

[NuttyMeg]

I'm a little confused as to when to use the correct terminology, and if there are indeed differences between the two, what are they exactly? I personally prefer to use 'bill' but does it matter? should one be used in preference to the other when talking about certain species?

Please help!
Thankyou

[m1.carson]

Hi nuttymeg,

You've got me going now, , I think a bill is for a fishing bird, and a beak for a land bird, I'll probably get shot down now..

Max.

[Elizabeth B]

On the Anatomy page of our two RSPB bird guides, it's just referred to as a bill.

The Oxford English Dictionary has this definition of bill:

The beak of a bird, especially when it is slender, flattened, or weak, or belongs to a web-footed bird or a bird of the pigeon family.

[aeshna5]

The two are interchangeable, but bill is the one used in more serious assessment of bird topography.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

The two are interchangeable, but bill is the one used in more serious assessment of bird topography.

Eh?
Topography?
More like anatomy.
Or possibly morphology.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Eh?
Topography?
More like anatomy.
Or possibly morphology.

If you look in most field guides they have a diagram of bird + call it bird topography. Look in the front of Collins Bird Guide which is probably the most acclaimed field guide for UK/Europe + there it is : Bird "topography". Quickly looking in other classic guides like Lars Johnson they also call it topography, so I'm only using the term used in the best field guides!

[NuttyMeg]

Thanks for your answers guys, much appreciated

Originally Posted by m1.carson

I think a bill is for a fishing bird, and a beak for a land bird, I'll probably get shot down now..

Max.

I've always sort of associated bill with water birds, but just not really sure why!

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

If you look in most field guides they have a diagram of bird + call it bird topography. Look in the front of Collins Bird Guide which is probably the most acclaimed field guide for UK/Europe + there it is : Bird "topography". Quickly looking in other classic guides like Lars Johnson they also call it topography, so I'm only using the term used in the best field guides!

How strange!
I've just looked in some of my fieldguides.
No mention of topography.
Just anatomy and morphology.
Topography means geographical features to most people.

Though I DO agree with your point - bill is used for the more scientific studies.

Crossbeak.
Doesn't sound right, does it?

Doug

[big bill]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

How strange!
I've just looked in some of my fieldguides.
No mention of topography.
Just anatomy and morphology.
Topography means geographical features to most people.

Though I DO agree with your point - bill is used for the more scientific studies.

Crossbeak.
Doesn't sound right, does it?

Doug

Just checked into the topic and in the Collins Book Complete British Birds by Paul Sterry under introduction is Bird Topography,I always thought that beaks belonged to land birds and bills to water birds

[Nicola Main]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought bill and beak were for the same thing. I use both, beak for when I'm talking to non-birders, and bill when speaking to birders. Bill is the proper scientific term but a lot of people like young children and non-birders just say beak.