Openbills are specialists in freshwater molluscs, particularly apple snails. They feed in small groups, and sometimes African openbills ride on the backs of hippos while foraging. Having caught a snail it will return to land or at least to the shallows to eat it. The fine tip of the bill of the openbills is used to open the snail, and the saliva has a narcotic effect, which causes the snail to relax and simplifies the process of extraction.
openbills are specialists in freshwater molluscs particularly apple snails they feed in small groups and sometimes african openbills ride on the backs of hippos while foraging having caught a snail it will return to land or at least to the shallows to eat it the fine tip of the bill of the openbills is used to open the snail and the saliva has a narcotic effect which causes the snail to relax and simplifies the process of extraction