Gizzard Question

[Alwese]

Turkeys, chickens, & pheasants all eat whole kernals of corn and have a powerful set of muscles in the digestive tract we refer to as a gizzard that grind up large pieces of food into smaller pieces. I was wondering if Macaws come equipped with that or there are just certain species of birds that have that. If it is just certain species, which species and how would you tell.

 

[plax]

Yes, all parrots have gizzards. Avian anatomy is quite different from that of mammals. One vast difference, as an example, is the breathing structure of birds. While they do have lungs, they have no diaphragms and their lungs are more or less rigid. Instead, they have a series of pliable 'air sacs' which expand and contract as they inhale and exhale. Air is passed from the air sacs to the lungs. Birds are quite interesting creatures IMO!