Distal Rhynchokinesis
Distal Rhynchokinesis is an ability possessed by many (if not all) shorebirds that allows the bird to move the distal part of the upper jaw with respect to the cranium, basically flexing the tip of its upper mandible up or down. This helps shorebirds feed more efficiently as it cuts down the need to remove the bill and re position it or open the entire bill under sand/soil. It is rarely photographed as the action is mostly done under water, mud or sand but I watched the Marbled Godwit pictured below do this several times while preening and the Least Sandpiper pictured below do this while bathing. The following images were taken by me of wild shorebirds at local beaches in SW Florida.
Least Sandpiper @ Bunche Beach
Red Knot EU5 (banded in 2007 on Sanibel Island, FL) @ Bunche Beach
Marbled Godwit @ Bunche Beach
