Bird Copies Whales to Catch Food
The broad-billed prion's beak is designed in the same way as the mouths of big baleen whales. In the upper beak, you will find about 250 lamellae in two rows approximately 1/10 mm apart.
When the prions search for food, they use a method known as hydroplaning. Flying with their beaks over the ocean, they immerse their lower beaks into the water. When they find krill, water fleas, or other plankton, they raise their lower beaks, forcing it firmly against the upper beak. Subsequently, they use their tongues to force the water out between the lamellae, capturing and swallowing the creatures.