Put it on my bill

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

If you've ever seen a pelican hibernating during the cold winter months, you may wonder how those suckers can stay warm with so little body fat. The key lies in the birds' characteristic pouched bills.
After catching its last fish before bedding down for the winter, a pelican will fill its bill with water and retract its tongue into its throat, forming a plug. The fish remains alive in the pelican's bill until spring, sustaining its dormant avian captor with its nitrogenous waste.

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