Limpkin: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Cranes and Marsh Birds · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. The limpkin is named for the way it walks: its steps make it look as if it has a limp.
2. Its bill has a small gap near the tip that works like tweezers. In many birds the tip bends slightly right, like an apple snail's shell.
3. It sets a snail in the mud, flips off its little lid and pulls it out in 10 to 20 seconds, rarely breaking the shell.
4. Its wild, wailing scream has starred in films: it was used for jungle sounds in Tarzan and for the hippogriff in Harry Potter.
5. Thanks to its long toes, a limpkin can stand on floating water plants. Its chicks can already swim when they hatch.

The quiz

1. Where does the limpkin's name come from?

• Its limp-looking walk (correct)
• Its bright yellow legs
• A famous explorer
• The sound of its wings

Its walk gives the impression that it is limping.

2. How does the limpkin's bill help it eat snails?

• It is short and hooked for smashing
• It is wide like a spoon
• A small gap near the tip works like tweezers (correct)
• It has teeth along the edges

The bill is slightly open near the end, giving a tweezers-like grip.

3. About how long does a limpkin take to pull a snail out of its shell?

• About 1 hour
• 10 to 20 seconds (correct)
• A whole day
• 5 minutes

The extraction takes 10 to 20 seconds, usually without breaking the shell.

4. In Harry Potter, which creature's sound used the limpkin's call?

• The dragon
• The owl Hedwig
• The phoenix
• The hippogriff (correct)

The limpkin's call was used for the hippogriff in the film.

5. What lets a limpkin stand on floating water plants?

• Its long toes (correct)
• Its very light bones
• Its webbed feet
• Its short wings

Its long toes spread its weight on floating plants.

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