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The sense of touch is ubiquitous in vertebrates and relies upon the detection of mechanical forces in the skin by the tactile end-organs of low-threshold mechanoreceptors. Significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of tactile end-organ function using mammalian models, but the detailed mechanics of touch sensation in Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles, the principal detectors of transient touch and vibration, remain obscure. The avian homologs of these corpuscles present an opportunity for functional study of mechanosensation in these structures, due to their relative accessibility and high abundance in the bill skin of tactile-foraging waterfowl. Here, we review the current knowledge of mechanosensory end-organs in birds and highlight the utility of the avian model to understand general principles of touch detection in the glabrous skin of vertebrates. • The neurophysiology of touch sensation is conserved across birds and mammals. • Bird mechanoreceptors innervate Grandry (Meissner) and Herbst (Pacinian) corpuscles. • Grandry and Herbst corpuscles densely populate the bill skin of tactile foragers. • Grandry and Herbst corpuscles detect transient touch, velocity, and vibration. • Lamellar cells are critical to sensory corpuscle structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]