History Main / BeakAttack

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
* Non-bird variant--in ''Film/JurassicWorld'', there is a scene where the saurian BigBad releases a swarm of highly territorial ''[[TerrorDactyl Pteranodons]]'' and scares them into a panicked frenzy, prompting them to descend upon the titular park's most populated area. Throughout the scene that follows, the pterosaurs can be seen pinning people down and pecking at them with their enormous beaks. Before that, one of them kills a hapless security guard by stabbing him in the chest with its beak.

The [[AnimalStereotypes most likely birds]] associated to this trope are those with long chiseling bills like the aforementioned woodpecker, cranes, or storks, the long beak even acting like a SinisterSchnoz in case of a villainous bird. When they are small, they could swoon in swarm, acting like a living FlechetteStorm. Birds of prey ([[NobleBirdOfPrey good]] or [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey bad]]) also often use their sharp curvy beak as weapon (which is for once [[TruthInTelevision rather accurate]]). A less common -- and more comedic -- variant is the use of a large beak (like the one of a toucan) as a literal [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. Pelicans, despite being quite a deadly hunter, are usually not depicted as offensive in fiction, dedicating their beaks to [[PelicanPackagePouch hide and carry stuff]]. Expect [[ArtisticLicenseOrnithology ornithologists to cry]] when seeing this trope, especially when it is used by birds not normally able to peck.

** As part of his DivergentCharacterEvolution from [[VideoGame/StarFox Fox]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' and moving forward, Falco was given a drilling peck attack for one of his aerials, replacing what was a rapid series of kicks in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''.

* Also happens in the preceding film ''Film/JurassicParkIII''. Here, Eric Kirby nearly gets pecked to death by a nestful of baby ''Pteranodons'' and shortly after rescuing him, Billy Brennan gets similar treatment from a trip of full-grown ones. Somehow, he survived this.

The trope also applies to [[AllFlyersAreBirds non-bird]] beaked creatures like pterosaurs (a.k.a. "{{ptero|Soarer}}dactyls") and cephalopods, even though it rarely happens for the latter, as they tend to rely more on their CombatTentacles (at least in fiction), though they may sometimes use an attack ''that resembles'' this trope, holding their tentacles out in front of them arranged into a point which they then use to jab and poke opponents with.

* Non-bird variant--in ''Film/JurassicWorld'', there is a scene where the saurian BigBad releases a swarm of highly territorial ''[[PteroSoarer Pteranodons]]'' and scares them into a panicked frenzy, prompting them to descend upon the titular park's most populated area. Throughout the scene that follows, the pterosaurs can be seen pinning people down and pecking at them with their enormous beaks. Before that, one of them kills a hapless security guard by stabbing him in the chest with its beak.
* ''Film/{{Rodan}}'', as your standard PteroSoarer {{kaiju}}, has a beak and often uses it to attack, even crushing giant boulders with it in ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII''.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Unlimited Arakune in one of his {{Limit Break}}s {{shapeshift|ing}}s into a black bird and flies forward while drilling his foe with his beak.

The trope also applies to [[AllFlyersAreBirds non-bird]] beaked creatures like [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs pterosaurs]] (a.k.a. "{{ptero|Soarer}}dactyls") and cephalopods, even though it rarely happens for the latter, as they tend to rely more on their CombatTentacles (at least in fiction), though they may sometimes use an attack ''that resembles'' this trope, holding their tentacles out in front of them arranged into a point which they then use to jab and poke opponents with.

* The BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' uses an evil potion to transform a barnyard rooster into Bladebeak, an armored avian with an axeblade for a beak. Subverted though, despite TakingALevelInBadass, Bladebeak remains inept and incompetent ComicRelief.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' uses an evil potion to transform a barnyard rooster into Bladebeak, an armored avian with an axeblade for a beak. Subverted though, despite TakingALevelInBadass, Bladebeak remains inept and incompetent ComicRelief.

[[folder:Films - Live Action]]

* Film/{{Rodan}}, as your standard PteroSoarer {{kaiju}}, has a beak and often uses it to attack, even crushing giant boulders with it in ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'': The Burrowing Snagret is a creature with [[MixAndMatchCritters the body of a snake and the head of a bird]] -- uses its large[[note]]compared to the [[{{Lilliputians}} tiny]] Pikmin[[/note]] beak to scoop up multiple Pikmin at once and eat them. There is also the Pileated Snagret, a [[UndergroundMonkey footed variation]] of it.
* ''VideoGame/IvyTheKiwi'': The titular character can be thrown with bouncing vines, [[DoABarrelRoll spinning around]] pointy beak first and breaking destructible blocks.

* WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker uses his beak in much the same way real woodpeckers do, to peck on trees, but he's not above pecking the heads of adversaries just for the hell of it.

* The BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' uses an evil potion to transform a barnyard rooster into Bladebeak, an armored avian with an axeblade for a beak. Subverted though, despite TakingALevelInBadass, Bladebeak remains [[CluckingFunny inept and incompetent]] ComicRelief.

[[quoteright:350:[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fearow_beak_attack.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:For any reclamations concerning the biological credibility of this image, please redirect your concerns towards Mr. [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Miles Prower]].]]-]

Beak Attack is when birds and other [[BirdPeople avian creatures]] use their [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin beak as weapon]] for massive damage.

It does not include any time [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs a bird uses its beak]]; here, this nasty [[{{Pun}} beakering]] needs to ''hurt'' very bad, even if it has to be [[UpToEleven over the top]]. Expect people being ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, and the beak somehow acting like a [[ThisIsADrill drill]] or a [[PileBunker jackhammer]]. In VideoGames, the [[AirborneMook bird enemies]] will often dive at the player beak first, sometimes even being LeftStuckAfterAttack, helplessly pinned into the ground.

* The green toucan in ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie'' unfortunately misses his target (because of his own [[BoomerangComeback boomerang effect]]), but literally pierces through an entire tree on his way back with his large beak. Outside of that, the movie and [[VideoGame/AngryBirds original game]] mostly avert the use of this trope.

[[caption-width-right:350:For any reclamations concerning the biological credibility of this image, please redirect your concerns towards Mr. [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Miles Prower]].]]

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heron Herons]]. These birds hunt fish by darting them with their long, sharp beak. If humans (or predators) capture them, they will readily use their beak in self-defense, inflicting serious wounds. They also know to [[EyeScream aim for the eye]] of their captor. This makes them one of the [[FeatheredFiend most dangerous birds]] ornithologists can work with.

The trope also applies to [[AllFlyersAreBirds non-bird]] beaked creatures like [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs pterosaurs]] (a.k.a. "{{ptero|Soarer}}dactyls") and cephalopods, even though it rarely happens for the latter, as they tend to rely more on their CombatTentacles (at least in fiction).

* The long-gone [[DumbDodoBird dodos]] had large and apparently powerful beaks according to some reports. Hunters were warned to be careful about their bites.

* ''Manga/{{Toriko}} contains several monstrous birds with incredibly powerful bills and beaks, among them the aptly-named Drillbirds, birds with huge straight beaks who spin on themselves to turn into deadly flying bullets able to pierce through anything. Later on, Coco's Emperor Crow pet Kiss learns a similar attack to drill his way through the [[EldritchAbomination Four Beast]].

* One of the enemy types in the second stage of VideoGame/{{Battletoads}} is a bird with an oversized beak that can sever your descent cable in a single pass. When you defeat them, their beaks snap off, which the ‘Toads can then catch and use as a sword.

* One of the enemies in the second stage of VideoGame/Battletoads is a bird with an oversized beak that can sever your descent cable in a single pass. When you defeat them, their beaks snap off, which the ‘Toads can then catch and use as a sword.

The [[AnimalStereotypes most likely birds]] associated to this trope are those with long chiseling bills like the aforementioned woodpecker, cranes, or storks, the long beak even acting like a SinisterSchnoz in case of a villainous bird. When they are small, they could swoon in swarm, acting like a living FlechetteStorm. Birds of prey ([[NobleBirdOfPrey good]] or [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey bad]]) also often use their sharp curvy beak as weapon (which is for once [[TruthInTelevision rather accurate]]). A less common -- and more comedic -- variant is the use of a large beak (like the one of a toucan) as a literal [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. Pelicans, despite being quite a deadly hunter, are usually not depicted as offensive in fiction, dedicating their beaks to [[PelicanPackagePouch hide and carry stuff]]. Expect [[ArtisticLicenseOrnithology ornithologists to cry]] when seeing this trope, especially when it is used by birds not normally able to pecker.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'', the Ansels are big flying birds with long and sharp-looking beaks. Their attack animation show them diving at the character, and their "Skewer" ability sounds rather self-explanatory.