Bird droppings combine the whitish waste products processed by the liver and kidneys with the darker wastes that come from the digestive tract.
In birds, the nitrogen-rich wastes are turned into a white-colored paste that is composed mostly of urates. The urates often form a separate white blob, as anyone who has worn a new hat outdoors at the wrong time has probably noticed.
The excretory system of birds is different from that of mammals because it takes up a minimum of space and requires a minimum of water for processing.
In mammals, nitrogen waste is turned into urea, a toxic substance that requires large amounts of water to flush it safely from the system and a urinary bladder as a holding tank for all the liquid.
The urates excreted by birds, on the other hand, are concentrated but not toxic, and most birds do not have bladders to hold liquid to flush it out.
Related Posts
-
How are Brown Eggs Healthier Than White Eggs and Which Chicken Lays Blue, Green and Spotted Eggs?
Brown eggs being healthier than white eggs is a stupid myth that started because people assumed that brown foods like breads, sugar, flours are healthier than white ones. In fact, the fictional James…
-
Where Was the Tallest Iceberg In the World Spotted and What Does the Word Iceberg Mean In Dutch?
The world's tallest iceberg was measured off the coast of Greenland in 1958, it was 550 feet (168 m) high. That's about the same height as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. About…
-
Why Is Bird Poop White In Color, What Is Bird Poop Made of, and How Do Birds Pee When Flying?
It is a common misconception that the white droppings produced by birds are feces. In fact, they are urine. Birds excrete uric acid rather than urea because it is an insoluble solid. This…
-
Which Country Has The Largest Bird In The World, A Walking Fish, And A Bird That Can’t Fly?
Australia is not just the land of strange animals. There are also birds in Australia that can be found nowhere else on earth. One of these is the emu, a big bird that…
-
How Does a Glass Drinking Bird Work and Who Invented the Drinking Dipping Bird?
Drinking birds, also known as dipping birds, are toy heat engines that mimic the motions of a bird drinking water. The drinking bird was invented by Miles V. Sullivan in 1945 and patented…
-
Do Birds Become Dependent On Bird Feeders and Will the Birds Starve If the Bird Feeder Is Empty?
Unless you live on a farm in the middle of Nebraska and the nearest house is thirty miles down the road, birds do not become dependent on you as a sole source of…
