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Bird Food Confusion – Seeds, Pellets, Organic – What’s Best?
Today’s science lesson: because birds are small and have a high need for energy they can digest food rapidly. This is one reason young birds mature quickly and migrating birds are able to store fat which enables long flights. There are species of birds that are known to increase their weight 40% in 10 days.
Birds may break up their food or crush it with their bill, they don’t chew it. Parrots, birds of prey, and finches have short, thick, fleshy tongues which allow them to manipulate their food. Where humans swallow with our soft palates, birds have to tilt their heads back to get the food from inside their mouth (buccal cavity) to the first part of their throat (Oesophagus). The oesophagus continues to draw the bird’s food down into it’s body – where it stands at the Crop.
