Tongues and stuff

[Helen]

Following on from another thread regarding pigeons drinking, apparantly the "suck up water" using their bill like a straw!

Anyway, about tongues - I thought this photo may be of interest as it allows a pretty good view of a birds' tongue.

This is the tongue of a Red Kite (Milvus milvus) that was just 6 weeks old, and was in the process of being ringed. By the way, this is a normal reaction in a kite, when being ringed and wing tagged. They also tend to "play dead"! But when returned to the nest, after a couple of minutes, they are none the worse for wear.

[SIZE="1"]Please do not use this photo unless permission has been given. Thanks.[/SIZE]

[Boddie]

Ah yes very evident indeed, thanks for enlightening me

[StuartDH]

Great photo Helen,

Any idea what the two black rings are half way up the tongue?

[henrya]

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Any idea what the two black rings are half way up the tongue?
Endquote

I think they are backward pointing 'teeth'. (You can just see that the right hand one stands proud) No idea of purpose, though I assume something to do with helping grip/swallow food (useful if you dont have teeth in your jaw and what you eat is slippery. I saw, some years ago, a photograph of a bird (Starling I think) that had got itself trapped on some kind of thread that had got looped behind these 'teeth'.

henrya

[Helen]

"A raptor’s tongue is triangular in shape with two rearward pointing projections which give it the look of a somewhat elongated arrow head. Those projections, along with a covering of tiny rough projections called papillae, help birds of prey hold and move food around" - Delaware Raptor Centre (Raptor Adaptations).