Grappletongues

Grappletongues (family linguafumenidae, rope-tongue) are a family of rainbow lorikeet descendants found in the savannas of Australia. Grappletongues evolved from a primarily frugivorous and nectivorous diet to a mostly insectivorous one. 

Biology

Grappletongues measure at about 8 inches in length and have a 14 inch wingspan. They live to  about 10-15 years. They can fly at speeds of up to 20 mph.

Grappletongues have a mostly green coat of feathers. The tips of the tail feathers are yellow and the head has purple and red feathers. This color variation differs depending on the specific population and there are thousands of different morphs. 

Grappletongues have a diet of flying insects and small birds. Their upper beak has a shorter tip to handle prey easier. When it sees a target it performs a braking maneuver with its wings, tilts its head back, opens its mouth, and catches its prey with a projectile tongue. All of this is done in a split second.

Their tongue measures a just over 8 inches, longer than its body. It contains a small rod formed from the hyoid to support the rest of the tongue. The tip of the tongue has a small rod of hardened cartilage. These 2 structures are connected by elastic muscle tissue that pulls back and stores up energy for when the bird eventually needs to use it again. The tip of the tongue has a concave pocket covered in spiky papillae that stick to the target as soon as it hits it.

Behavior

Grappletongues spend a lot of time in the air. At least 75% of their lives are spent in the air hunting to help maintain their high metabolism. The other 25% is spent taking shelter in trees and sleeping.

Due to a harsh lack of trees in the Australian savannah, grappletongues gather in flocks in whatever tree they can find. Most trees in the savannah are able to grow absolutely gigantic due to the flock's waste fertilizing them. This accidental fertilization provides the savannah with shelter and food for many different animals.

Grappletongues are monogomous and take shifts guarding the nest. They breed in the summer and the eggs hatch in fall. The young learn to hunt from their parents and once mature will join other flocks.

Whatever sort of intelligence their ancestors had is completely lost in grappletongues. They once had a very extensive catalog of calls and sometimes words but since the hyoid is snow used for hunting, the most noise grappletongues can make is a high pitched, raspy screech.