Bird beaks need to be well maintained in order for them to be as helpful as possible to the bird.
If the beak becomes too blunt then it may not be as useful. This article looks into what birds sharpen their beaks with.
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What do birds sharpen their beaks with?
Bird beaks are forever growing, this body part is made out of the same material that our hair and nails are made out of, that is keratin.
This keratin beak can be shaped to the birds liking and the bird may sharpen its beak using a variety of things depending on where it lives:
In your care:
Birds in your care will use items that you supply to shape their beaks, and, they will also use things in their environment to sharpen their beaks.
Common things to give birds to sharpen their beaks with are cuttlebone and wooden beak toys.
These items are abrasive on the surface. The bird will scrape, swipe and chew on these items to keep its beak maintained and sharp.
Your bird may also use other things, like its perch, and cage bars to rub their beaks on and sharpen the beak with.
If the bird only has access to smooth surfaces, then the bird will try to swipe its beak against this more often because of the lack of abrasion.
In urban environments:
Birds who live in urban environments will use whatever abrasive surface they have at their disposal to sharpen their beaks.
This can include fences, railings, the edges of metal bird baths, clothesline ropes, fenceposts, tree branches, or even the ground.
In the wild:
Birds in the wild are most at home and are in their element.
The birds may have to keep an eye out for predators, but they know their way around the wild as they have lived there for centuries.
The birds also know what to use when wanting to sharpen their beaks
A bird in the wild will use branches, rocks, tree trunks, and other natural abrasive surfaces to sharpen its beaks.
These rough surfaces will help to shape the bird’s beak to perfection.
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