Maternal Hiveballoon

The maternal hiveballoon split from its ancestor. As an adult females tend to stay in one place facing downward, her eyes are vestigial at this period of her life and she relies mainly on hearing. She uses her massive beak as a weight to keep from being knocked around too much by wind. Her legs act to help with minor adjustments, and her little wings can be used to move slowly through the air when it is calm. She has hooks on the ends of her wings for her young to hold onto.

The young of this species spend much of their childhood caring for their mother, collecting food and water for her and keeping her clean. They have long stringy legs for grasping onto their mother's hooks when resting and their eyes have yet to become vestigial organs. They usually leave their mother when about 3 meters long. The male stays in this childlike form his entire life, and cares for his mate along with his young.