Why do birds......

[GSDfan22]

S***e white? I was wondering this today as my daughter was walking along the street and received a liquid present from the dove from above. I just can't understand why it comes out like tippex. There must be a scientific reason for this to happen. Any ideas why?

[JBR]

I don't know, but it's lucky!

[Schutzengel]

It's because this time of year the birds are mostly eating seeds, grain, peanuts (if people put food out for them) and tiny insects. Think about chickens, they eat grain and their poo is mostly white. Just wait until the elderberry trees come into fruit, and other similarly dark coloured berries, and then the bird poo will be purple.

[Clanad]

I think you'll find that the chalky-white paste called urate (made of uric-acid crystals) is a byproduct of bird kidneys. Unlike mammals, birds don't process a lot of water as waste since they don't have bladders for storage.
What you actually see is the color of these whitish crystals. Imbedded in urate is a chunk of solid waste. This piece is usually hard and worm-like, and does get its color from the bird's diet, accodring to Jerome Jackson at Florida Gulf Coast University.

[GSDfan22]

Thanks Clannad. Good to know. I knew it couldn't be diet because I eat peanuts too :D

[tiggerblue10]

I thought you were going to burst into a Carpenters song there GSD.

[ELVIS68]

^^^^^^^^lol, me too