Due to the bird's anatomy the upper beak (1a) is visible most of the time and it covers the lower beak (1b) as you can see in the photo on the right. The upper beak can be moved by the birds, the lower beak is attached to the jaw-bone and therefore cannot be moved. So each time a bird opens its beak, he does it by moving the upper part of it.

If one takes a closer look at a bird's head from below, one can see naked skin and a gap between the throat and the lower beak. This gap is a normal characteristic of a parrot's anatomy, it is not pathological! Birds need this gap to be able to swallow since the throat is streched a bit by the food. In case there would be no gap, birds would not be able to swallow their food since the lower beak would squeeze the throat. Particularly during preening or after taking a bathe when the feathers are wet, one can see this naked skin and the gap. The photo below shows a female linneolated parakeet who puts her head back while her partner is feeding her. The location of the gap is shown by the arrow.

Link tip: Do you want to discuss with experts and other bird owners about your bird's health? Then please feel free to visit the English forum of . Of course you will meet me there, too. My nickname is "Feenseeschwalbe".