Crop milk

secretion used by some birds to feed their young

Crop milk is a way of feeding from the crop of parent birds, by regurgitating to young birds. They are found among all pigeons and doves where they are referred to as pigeon milk. Crop milk is also produced by flamingos and even some penguins.[1][2][3]

One Greater Flamingo-chick in Zoo Basel is fed on crop milk.

References change

  1. Levi, Wendell (1977). The Pigeon. Sumter, S.C.: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. ISBN 0-85390-013-2.
  2. Silver, Rae (1984). "Prolactin and Parenting in the Pigeon Family" (PDF). The Journal of Experimental Zoology. 232 (3): 617–625. doi:10.1002/jez.1402320330. PMID 6394702. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  3. Eraud, C., Dorie, A., Jacquet, A. and Faivre, B. (2008). "The crop milk: a potential new route for carotenoid-mediated parental effects" (PDF). Journal of Avian Biology. 39 (2): 247–251. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2008.04053.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)