Hello and welcome.

This is the Science of Birds.

I am your host, Ivan Philipson.

The Science of Birds podcast is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology for lifelong learners.

This episode, which is number 94, is all about the avian digestive system.

That's right, kids, we're looking at bird guts today.

Yay!

So this is another podcast episode in the anatomy category.

Topics we've covered in other episodes include the avian skeleton, bird eyes, feather structure, and bird beaks.

Today's episode should be fun.

If you've ever wondered what happens to a fish

swallowed by a kingfisher or what happened to that piece of bacon swiped off your lunch plate by a

cheeky ring-billed gull, well, you're about to find out. I'll do my best to describe in words

the anatomical features we encounter today.

But I've also drawn a diagram for you.

You can check that out in the show notes for this episode on the Science of Birds website,

scienceofbirds.com.

There should also be a link to that page in the show notes on your podcast app.

All right, it's time to dive into the avian digestive system.

For birds, food is kind of a big deal. Birds spend most of their time every day looking for food and eating food. Birds are driven by a powerful instinct to eat. Now let's briefly ask a very basic question. Why do birds, or humans or any other animals, have this instinct? Well, food provides an

animal with two essential things. One, it provides energy, then two, it provides the body with raw

material for growth and maintenance. As a source of energy, food fuels the trillions of

...