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How do stilts use their bills while feeding?

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Illustration of a crab plover (Dromas ardeola), showing a slender wading bird with long legs, a long pointed black bill, white head and underparts, and contrasting black wings and back. — Charadriiform Crab plover (Dromas ardeola)

Stilts (family Recurvirostridae) utilize their long, slender bills in several ways while feeding in shallow water or mud. They commonly feed by sweeping their opened bills from side to side near the water's surface to capture small aquatic animals. Additionally, stilts forage by pecking at prey and probing into the mud for crustaceans and other small invertebrates.12