Prions Filter-Feed Like Whales
It's similar to how baleen whales feed, leading to the prion's nickname: the whale-bird. Birds called prions have an especially creative approach to getting their food.
Useful takeaways from this story.
Birds called prions have an especially creative approach to getting their food.
They pass seawater through their mouths and filter it to catch tiny animals such as krill and other small crustaceans.
It's similar to how baleen whales feed, leading to the prion's nickname: the whale-bird.
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The useful part
Birds called prions have an especially creative approach to getting their food. They pass seawater through their mouths and filter it to catch tiny animals such as krill and other small crustaceans. It's similar to how baleen whales feed, leading to the prion's nickname: the whale-bird.
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- In Greek, the word "prion" means saw, which refers to the bird's highly specialized mouth.
Details worth keeping
The sides of their bills have comb-like structures. Small food items get trapped in the combs as water flows past. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks.
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