How birds poop? 

 You must have listened about this citation that eyes are the mirrors for the soul. Similarly, when we talk about birds, people say that the condition of their poop is actually the bridge to know about their current health situation. The fact is bird owners get to know more about poop than the owners of cats and dogs because they frequently have to deal with it. We do not just take care of the poop instead in the race; often we get poop on ourselves. So to know about your bird’s health and how to tackle their poop, it is necessary that you should know How birds poop? 

Why is bird poop white? 

First, get this point that things are not always like what they look like. To investigate the matter a bit, we should dig it. The poop of the birds is not actually white. Unlike mammals, birds do not have separate or different passages for urinating and excreting the solid substances. Instead, they do both of the processes through one single passage. 

Cloaca is the only passage through which they urinate and excrete the faeces at the same time. Also, the end excretory products of mammals and birds are very different. Urea is the final product which mammals excrete in their faeces. On the other hand, birds don’t excrete urea; instead, they convert it into uric acid, which is also called guanine. Why do they have to convert it to uric acid? Because their metabolism is very high so the water consumption is very high. Converting the end product into uric acid helps in the reduction of the absorption of water within the body. They are thus storing and retaining more water in the body. 

Why is it white? Because of the uric acid. Uric acid gives the excretory material of the birds a white colour. The white substance which is excreted by the bird is actually their urine, and the dark center is the poop part. 

How birds poop? Some people may ponder that birds are direct by-products of the dinosaurs and their origin is linked with them. So did the dinosaurs poop the same white material or in the same way as these birds do?  

When I researched this, I came to know that it is not necessary for all of the birds that they poop and urinate at the same time. The clear example of this is ostriches. They also exude through the cloaca, but they pee before they poop. Similarly, the scientists don’t have much information about the avian dinosaurs, but for non-avian dinosaurs, they estimated that they poop and urinate separately too. 

How birds poop? 15 facts about birds poop

As I told you, poop of the birds has a crucial part in depicting their health conditions. In the lower section, I am going to mention all the crazy facts you need to know about bird poop. How birds poop? Why they eat their poop and many more questions which have been intriguing you lately. 

We, humans, have a stinky and foul-smelling poop. Why don’t birds have a smelly poop? 

The secret lies in the differences in the diet of birds and mammals. Along with the question How birds poop? There comes another one why their poop is not smelly just like humans.

Primarily the bird’s diet does not include a lot of protein and meat, although Birds eat a lot of green stuff ( vegetables and fruits). Our poop is smelly because of the proteins and Chicken, which is converted to sulfide in our intestines. 

On the other hand, other pets like cats and dogs do have anal glands which add the new stink to their poop. It is also researched that parrots do not have a caecum at all, an organ which is responsible for fermentation. As a result, no foul smell and odours are released by parrots. 

What is the reason behind eating their own poop? 

The concept of eating your own poop is called “Coprophagia”. It is a very rare condition and is not only restricted to birds but to other animals as well. It does not have any cure, and the main reason why animals do this is due to some deficiency of nutrients. However, personality and behaviour still play a significant role in this particular type of phobia. Here in this article, you will clear your concept about How birds poop? 

To your amaze, the rabbit excretory pellets are high in Vit B, and they eat their faeces for that very reason. We are also well aware and familiar with the same behaviour in Chicken and turkeys. 

Also, birds are very engaged in grooming and cleaning activities. So you might observe them scratching their own poop from the cage gate or walls where they love to sit. In such cases, it may seem like they are eating their poop, but in actual, they are not. 

 Perks of bird poop 

How birds poop? The bird poop contains high amounts of nitrogen which is a perfect food for fertile soil and hence acts as excellent fertilizers. It is a fascinating fact that human beings have extracted fertilizers for centuries from far away islands rich in waterfowl poop. 

Similarly, chick farmers have turned up their “go-green” game, using chicken poop as fertilizers. However, some researchers prohibit using bird’s poop in your yard as the local birds in your community can extract a dangerous bird through this. 

Effects of bird poop on your surroundings 

Mother nature works seamlessly, and she knows how to deal with all kinds of poops. The issues come when we humans try to interrupt the natural processes. In the natural environment, there are a lot of bacteria present which are able to break down the poop of birds into simpler compounds. 

Scientists tell us that as the poop of the birds contains uric acid, it ultimately affects the buildings in the long term. Birds are almost always flying so to maintain as low weight as possible they have to defecate often. 

So buildings are the frequent target of their poop. How birds poop? The process of damaging buildings by poops is slow but think of it? It is a slow rusting process which will ultimately break off that concrete structure. 

Meaning of different poop colours:

A parrot’s poop clearly depicts its health. Usually, the poop of the bird is on the green side. It can be grass green or even more a darker shade and can also be olive-coloured. These poops are the signs of a healthy bird. 

But, when this green coloured poop changes to black colour, it means your bird is not having a proper diet, and only the vile part is coming out in the faeces.

How birds poop?  The urine part of the poop should be neat and beautiful. It is white mostly, but due to the excretion of bile, it can become yellow, indicating a problem in the liver. But the staining can be due to other reasons as well. 

If these urates become red in colour, then your bird is suffering from lead poisoning. 

The volume of the Urine also matters. If it becomes a mess then it may be an indication of diabetes, a condition also called polyuria in birds.

Remember bird poop contains three parts; green part digested in intestines, the white part digested in kidneys and the Urine, which is also a product of kidneys. 

Wild poop, things you should worry about:

How birds poop? Wild bird poops are the carriers of several severe diseases like psittacosis and tuberculosis. Moreover, if you don’t keep a check on your pet birds and they accidentally ingest any of the wild bird poop, then they can develop internal parasites. Why are pet birds prone to such diseases? Because their immune systems may not be able to fight such pests and diseases. 

Frequency or ratio of your bird’s poop:

How many times a bird poop is inversely proportional to its size. Smaller the birds more poops you should expect in a day as compared to a giant bird. A little bird may excrete 40 – 50 times in a day whereas a giant bird, a macaw will hardly poop for 15-20 times per day. 

Questions and Answers 

Is bird poop bad for humans? 

If you are present at a place where birds are abundantly present the pigeons, particularly you should expect respiratory illness and diseases. Any air or water which is polluted by the bird’s droppings can infect your health to a great extent. It can lead to severe conditions like flu which can become worse known as psittacosis. You can also develop salmonella, which can lead to severe bowel infections. 

Do birds know when they poop? 

Birds can not control their poop as we do, but they still have some muscles near their cloaca. Cloaca is their last hole for any kind of secretion either it is eggs or defecation. How birds poop? Anyhow they again can feel when they are pooping. 

What is bird poop called?

The bird’s poop is called “guano”, even most of the fertilizers are named guano also if they don’t have bird’s poop in it. You should probably have listened to the term on several fertilizers ads because they extensively use this term. 

Is cleaning bird poop dangerous? 

Bird droppings carry several harmful diseases like psittacosis and tuberculosis and even salmonella. You should be wary of these diseases while cleaning the bird’s poop. Use gloves and a mask while cleaning their dung and never should skip this step. These diseases are very contagious, so it is necessary to take precautionary measures. 

Why do birds eat poop? 

It is not a characteristic that can be associated with all birds; even some animals do that too. It is caused by nutrient deficiency or behavioural problems. To meet those deficiencies, they start to eat their own poop. Even the rabbit’s poop contains high amounts of Vitamin B. 

How do you clean bird poop? 

Cleaning bird poop is easy,  but you should take all the necessary precautions to avoid extracting any kind of harmful diseases. How birds poop? Wear a mask and a glove while handling their dung. Use a disinfectant at the place to eliminate any germs. Don’t let your pet birds in the outdoors instead keep them indoors so that they don’t get any parasites from other wild birds. 

Does bird poop cause blindness? 

The Institute of National Health has reported a lot of blindness cases resulting from birds. An immensely harmful eye condition called ocular histoplasmosis syndrome that results from the fungus developed in the droppings of a bird.