Crossbill drinking
When mammals drink water it is transported by muscular movements in the right direction to the stomach. This is why it is physically possible (though difficult) to drink water while standing on our heads. Most birds lack this ability and have to tilt their heads back in order to swallow. So this Crossbill is in the act of swallowing a beakful of water. Pigeons are a rare example of birds that can swallow with their heads down.
Birds also vary in their need to drink water as some birds get the water they need from their food. But Crossbills have a diet largely of dry seeds, so need a ready source of water. Often the best photographs of Crossbills are while they are drinking at pools as they spend most of their time high in conifers obscured by foliage. I managed to capture this male a couple of days ago drinking from a trackside puddle near Holmfirth.
Crossbill drinking
When mammals drink water it is transported by muscular movements in the right direction to the stomach. This is why it is physically possible (though difficult) to drink water while standing on our heads. Most birds lack this ability and have to tilt their heads back in order to swallow. So this Crossbill is in the act of swallowing a beakful of water. Pigeons are a rare example of birds that can swallow with their heads down.
Birds also vary in their need to drink water as some birds get the water they need from their food. But Crossbills have a diet largely of dry seeds, so need a ready source of water. Often the best photographs of Crossbills are while they are drinking at pools as they spend most of their time high in conifers obscured by foliage. I managed to capture this male a couple of days ago drinking from a trackside puddle near Holmfirth.