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Swiss Army knife of the Hawaiian Islands—how an endangered bird drills into trees to find food
There are no woodpeckers on the Hawaiian Islands, but a little yellow bird called the 'akiapōlāʻau (Ah-key-ah-pole-ah-ow) has evolved an unusual beak to drill into branches to find food.
Summary
There are no woodpeckers on the Hawaiian Islands, but a little yellow bird called the 'akiapōlāʻau (Ah-key-ah-pole-ah-ow) has evolved an unusual beak to drill into branches to find food. A new study in the journal Ornithology provides the most in-depth look yet at this bird's unique anatomy, including its "Swiss Army beak" that looks like two different birds' beaks Frankensteined together.
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