Sublingual fistula in a Red-crested Pochard

Do you notice the thing below the female Red-crested Pochards / Kolbenente (Netta rufina) bill? It’s the tongue of the bird, hanging through the mandible. A condition known as oral or sublingual fistula.

A sublingual fistula is an opening through the ventral skin of the buccal cavity through which the tongue can protrude. The cause is unknown.

Hughes et al. 2013: Sublingual fistula in a masked booby (Sula dactylatra) and possible role of ectoparasites in its etiology.