Digestive System

  A bird’s digestive system breaks down food. Then the body can use it as energy.

  It all begins with a bird's beak. They use them to pick up, peck, and gather their food. The journey starts with a morsel entering the beak and making its way to the belly.

  Birds are known for their impressive gulping skills. Once the food is in their beaks, they gulp it down into a special part called the crop. The crop is like a temporary food storage pouch where the bird can keep its meal safe and sound before moving on to the next step.

  After a bird has gobbled up its meal, it's time to start breaking it down. The food moves from the crop to the first part of the stomach, or proventriculus. Here it meets some special juices that help turn it into a mushy mixture.

  Birds have a unique twist to their digestive system. The second part of the stomach, or gizzard, is like a tiny grinding machine. Small rocks or grit that the bird has swallowed work with the gizzard to crush and grind the food.

  Once the food is all mushed up, the small intestine absorbs the nutrients, which travel through the blood stream to provide energy to all parts of the body.