The Way Birds Drink

Today I’ve been finishing a couple of carved birds to sit on the edge of a birdbath.  I’m not sure why, and it has only just occurred to me, but I’ve made them as if they are drinking, rather than bathing (I must do a pair as if in mid flapping and sploshing next time!)

Birds drink by dipping their beaks into the water to fill them with liquid, and then tip their heads back and gravity takes the water down into their digestive tract.  In fact some birds can draw water into their beaks with their tongue, but still have to throw their heads back to get the water to trickle down to where it needs to be.

You’ll see my two birds demonstrate this rather well, one dipping its beak, and the other looking skyward to transfer the liquid to the throat.

When I’ve watched birds drinking it always seems to be a calm and steady process, in fact done with rather charming poise and balance.