Upside Down

I try to research all the fun facts to make sure they're legit before I send them in to school. No need to spread misinformation even if it's in the name of fun, right?

Stanford had this bit of trivia confirmed on their website. They posted:

Flamingos feed with their heads down, and their bills are adapted accordingly. In most birds a smaller lower beak works against a larger upper one. In flamingos this is reversed; the lower bill is much larger and stronger, and the fat tongue runs within the bill's deep central groove. To complete the jaw reversal, unlike other birds (and mammals) the upper jaw is not rigidly fixed to the skull. Consequently, with the bird's head upside down during feeding the upper bill moves up and down, permitting the flamingo's jaws to work "normally."

Whole article found here.

Why did they adapt this way? Who knows. Maybe it's easier with those stilt legs to put their face in the water upside down.  The next time we go to the zoo, I'm going to wander by the flamingos and see if I can see this in action.