Flight Rising Discussion

People always seem to wonder why Fae necks are so long, why they are there and also the massive production of memey threads like "ecks dee Fae necky long", so I am here to propose my theory.

Faes evolved their long necks as an strategy for hunting. Much like all egrets and herons have a long S-shaped neck that "uncoils" as they strike at live prey with their long sharp beaks, Faes possess an extensive neck bone structure that aids them when hunting for bugs. Like frog and chameleon tongues, the Fae, once noticed and targeted it's prey (insect), swiftly extends it's neck forward to catch it quickly. When not hunting, the neck remains in a resting position, coiled. Considering it is canon that Faes jump like birds when walking, they might as well have bird-like reflexes and a "chicken neck". "Chicken necks" are commonly found in birds, and the term is usually a general way to address the delayed follow-up of an avian's head compared to it's body in order to have a better vision. On a simpler note, a some birds' neck and head stay in the same position as their body moves so in order to shift their gaze, they have to move their whole head, and conversely, in order to focus on a fixed point, they have to keep their head completely still - even if their body is moving.

Since small birds are prey for many predators, it's important that as they move, they are able to constantly scan the area for danger. And since they eat small bugs and insects, it's important that they are able to sense movement as they walk.
Because of their long, thin necks, chickens can easily move their heads independently from their bodies, and Faes seem to be the same.
Chickens and other small birds also do this head bob because their eyes are fixed and immovable around their eye sockets, which limits a whole-around sight. In FR's art, Faes appear to have bulging eyes that jut out of their skulls as a consequence for being so big, which seems to be... difficult if they want to shift their gaze, and their pupils always seem to stay in the same spot regardless of the direction they're supposedly looking at (look at a male Fae's eyes and how they're looking at opposite directions).

In conclusion, Faes evolved long necks for hunting and sight strategy. Their long necks result in head bobbing which aids them in having a sight acute to movement due to their fixated ocular globes. In hunting, the Fae, with it's movement-sensible eyes, is easily able to find insects and also watch out for danger around it due to being small in size.

This is a serious theory and discussion, so I would much rather see what people think of it instead of just saying "Fae neck long"

@SolifugeSpace

I always imagined fae necks were like the equivalent to Finches beaks; the longer the neck of a fae the more likely it is to have a food source other fae cannot reach and therefore have less competition for specific foods. Like a family around an ant-hill, the one with the longer neck gets the better meal since it can go further into the caves/hideyholes of bugs.

but faes dont like to walk so why would their heads bop

I’m not familiar with bird evolution and such, so I don’t have anything to add, but I really like this.

[quote name="ThanosBottomText" date="2019-11-26 06:02:45" ] but faes dont like to walk so why would their heads bop [/quote] I suggest you to read the study carefully. Birds bob their heads to have a clear vision when walking. When flying, long necked birds such as swans and geese use their necks to keep their heads steady. To obtain steady images while flying or when perched on a swaying branch, birds hold the head as steady as possible with compensating reflexes. Maintaining a steady image is especially relevant for birds of prey. It's like saying "why birds evolved legs if they have wings?"

ecks dee fae long neck

This is an actually interesting point. Interesting like the fact mirrors seem to have abnormally long tails like that of iguanas' whip tail. Whether or not the FR team had these biologic functions in mind when making the dragon species we have is unknown, but it's always fun to theorize.

Especially when it comes to a fact that downright makes sense. Nice to see posts like these, it's always interesting to see the study and research people put in to the fictional body structure of FR species.

A nice take!

I haven't got anything to add though unfortunately, I dropped biology as soon as I could lol

more neck = more fun slidey slope for the bugs they eat

[quote name="GrandeLatte" date="2019-11-26 11:07:18" ] ecks dee fae long neck This is an actually interesting point. Interesting like the fact mirrors seem to have abnormally long tails like that of iguanas' whip tail. Whether or not the FR team had these biologic functions in mind when making the dragon species we have is unknown, but it's always fun to theorize. Especially when it comes to a fact that downright makes sense. Nice to see posts like these, it's always interesting to see the study and research people put in to the fictional body structure of FR species. [/quote] :Gun: your long necky go break Thank you! I put my whole morning time on thinking about this