Let’s Talk About Bird Tongues

by Jennea Frischke

Have you ever thought about what bird tongues look like? They are very different from our tongues. Human tongues are primarily muscular, while bird tongues are rigid, and supported by bone and cartilage.¹ Tongues are often very different between different bird species. Their tongues are a fascinating example of adaptations made over generations to help birds better thrive in their unique environments. Just within the woodpecker family, there are many differences in appearances and adaptations with their tongues.

Certain species of woodpeckers have very long tongues, that can extend several inches. Depending on what type of diet the woodpecker has, the tongue helps them retrieve their food (bugs, grubs, and sap for example). Since many woodpecker tongues are so long, they have a special storage space built into their anatomy, where the tongue coils up behind their brain (but not in contact with the brain). This Y-shaped structure consists of stiff, yet flexible, cartilage and bone connected to their tongues called the hyoid apparatus.¹ This extra cushion behind the brain also helps absorb the impact from pecking at wood and other surfaces, protecting the brain from damage!⁶ Flickers and other woodpeckers often hit light poles and other metal objects, especially in the spring, as they are looking for the loudest sound they can, either to establish their territory, or to help attract a mate.³

Let’s look at three types of woodpeckers, and how their tongues are similar and different.

Northern Flickers have a very long sticky tongue (considered to be one of the birds with the longest tongues), with a single pointy barb on the end. The barb on the end of the tongue is a mobile tip that can change direction when probing deep into insect tunnels. There’s a tiny joint in the otherwise rigid tongue with two pairs of muscles inside the tongue inserting on tiny bones, enabling the barb to move in all directions.² This helps it retrieve ants, grubs, and other insects. With their long tongues, they also don’t have to peck as far into wood. They have a keen sense of hearing, and once a bug is heard, they can peck to expose the location of the prey, and then slurp it up with their tongue, saving time and increasing the number of bugs eaten.