Executive summary: There is none.
As this is not enough for a proper blog post, here is a slightly more differentiated answer.
Generally, both terms describe the same – there is no anatomical or biological difference between a beak and a bill.
That said, one or the other term may be used more frequently depending on the context:
- In birding and ornithology, “bill” tends to be more common (so if you want to sound professional, maybe use this term)
- In more general contexts (e.g., everyday conversation, children’s books), “beak” is more commonly used.
One indication for the higher use of “bill” in an ornithological context is that a Google search for “avian + bill” gets about 10 million hits while one for “avian + beak” only has about 4 million.
Another distinction in common use is based on the function and shape of the organ:
- “Beak” is more frequently used for sharper, stronger, or hooked mouthparts, especially raptors, owls, and parrots. So if somebody wants to describe a bird ripping into the flesh of a prey item, this term might be preferable
- “Bill” is typically used to describe birds with flatter, longer, and broader mouthparts, such as ducks or shorebirds. These mouthparts are more likely to be used for filtering or sifting than for ripping into something. This is also reflected in the names of some bird species – think of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Eurasian Spoonbill, Asian Openbill, Shoebill, or the hornbills (and please ignore the crossbills, which do not really fit well into this explanation).
So, basically, you can use both terms – but maybe using the term “bill” might make you sound a bit more sophisticated.
Photo: Yellow-billed Hornbill, Kruger Park, South Africa, November 2018
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