We’ve just rescued a young rook caught in a wire fence. Vicious bird, it kept trying to stab us with its beak, and its claws clamp on very tightly. It kept hissing with an open mouth, and the tongue was fascinating, as it had two very sharp v shaped hooks, facing up, but, also backwards, about half way back. I assume it assists holding onto and swallowing food. Wish I’d had a spare hand to take a photo.
Tish Farrell 
Maybe there is a container with water and it can’t reach the water and it has read the story of the crow in Aesop’s fables.
Good day, Tish
Hello, Mak. Hope you are well.
I am well, thanks
Thanks for the Aesop’s tale reminder. Crows and their cousins are smart types. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crow_and_the_Pitcher
Fascinating photo,, very rare indeed to capture the tongue! Well done, Tish!
A happy accident, Peter 🙂
Being at the right place at the right time
🙂
I can’t even photograph birds, and you, oh superior woman, photograph their tongues!
A fluke a palpable fluke!
Wow, great capture!
A tad bizarre I know. As glimpsed through back door window.
And what a savage beak!
Yes, quite shocking, isn’t it. I’ve never had such a close up view of a rook before.
Although my eyes were first drawn to the rock, once they noticed the tongue, they never looked anywhere else. Great shot, Tish.
Such intelligent birds and it has a weapon handy if you got too close…
We’ve just rescued a young rook caught in a wire fence. Vicious bird, it kept trying to stab us with its beak, and its claws clamp on very tightly. It kept hissing with an open mouth, and the tongue was fascinating, as it had two very sharp v shaped hooks, facing up, but, also backwards, about half way back. I assume it assists holding onto and swallowing food. Wish I’d had a spare hand to take a photo.
Good on you for the rescue effort, despite client resistance 🙂