Proof of Evolution? Birds of Prey Avoid Extinction by Growing Longer Beaks in Just 10 Years

By Meghan Bartels  

In an impressive feat of adaptation, the beak size of a particular bird of prey has changed in just 10 years in order to keep up with a change in its food supply. 

In 2005, snail kites, which live in central Florida, got a nasty surprise. The birds get their name from their very favorite food, apple snails. These birds are equipped with a long, hooked beak perfect for snatching the snails out from their spiral shells. But between 2005 and 2008, those apple snails were replaced by a foreign, larger relative. Rather than starve, the snail kites were able to grow larger beaks in order to keep pace with their tasty targets—all in less than a decade, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution…