Do pigeons produce milk for their young?

Answer 1

Yes and no. Pigeon milk is not milk in the traditional sense of dairy or soy milk. No species of birds provide milk for their young.

Some birds such as pigeons, doves, male emperors penguins and flamingoes are fed on special secretions from the parent birds' crop which are the result of regurgitated food. These secretions are sometimes called crop milk, but they are not milk in the true sense of the word. However, they are rich in nutrients and fats. The production of the milk is controlled by prolactin, which is the same hormone that begins milk production in mammals, and is released from the pituitary gland. The lining of the crop sloughs off fluid-filled cells containing more fat and protein than cows' milk, as well as minerals and antibodies, forming a nutritious milk-like substance known as crop milk. Both males and females produce this liquid.

Australian researchers have recently discovered that pigeon milk offers similar nutrients to that found in mammals' milk. During the breeding season, instead of storing food, the pigeons' crop is stimulated by hormones to take on a 'lactating' role. Interestingly, in a study where pigeon milk was fed to chickens, the growth rate of the baby chicks increased by 38%.

Answer 2

In a sense, yes. Pigeons are birds, and birds do not provide the same sort of milk for their young as mammals do. Some birds are fed on special secretions from the parent birds' crop, and these may even be called crop milk, but it is not milk in the true "mammalian" sense of the word. It is not produced in mammary glands.

The production of the milk is controlled by prolactin, which is the same hormone that begins milk production in mammals, and is released from the pituitary gland. The lining of the crop sloughs off fluid-filled cells containing more fat and protein than cows' milk, as well as minerals and antibodies, forming a nutritious milk-like substance known as crop milk. Both males and females produce this liquid.

Birds which feed their young with "crop milk" include pigeons, doves and flamingos.

Answer 3

In one sense they do.

Pigeons are birds, and birds do not provide the same sort of milk for their young as mammals do. Some birds are fed on special secretions from the parent birds' crop, and these may even be called crop milk, but it is not milk in the true "mammalian" sense of the word. It is not produced in mammary glands.

The production of the milk is controlled by prolactin, which is the same hormone that begins milk production in mammals, and is released from the pituitary gland. The lining of the crop sloughs off fluid-filled cells containing more fat and protein than cows' milk, as well as minerals and antibodies, forming a nutritious milk-like substance known as crop milk. Both males and females produce this liquid.

Australian researchers have recently discovered that pigeon milk offers similar nutrients to that found in mammals' milk. During the breeding season, instead of storing food, the pigeons' crop is stimulated by hormones to take on a 'lactating' role. Interestingly, in a study where pigeon milk was fed to chickens, the growth rate of the baby chicks increased by 38%.

Birds which feed their young with "crop milk" include pigeons, doves and flamingos.

Answer 4

Yes and no.

Pigeon milk is not milk in the traditional sense of dairy or soy milk. No species of birds provide milk for their young.

Some birds such as pigeons, doves, male emperors penguins and flamingoes are fed on special secretions from the parent birds' crop which are the result of regurgitated food. These secretions are sometimes called crop milk, but they are not milk in the true sense of the word. However, they are rich in nutrients and fats.

Australian researchers have recently discovered that pigeon milk offers similar nutrients to that found in mammals' milk. During the breeding season, instead of storing food, the pigeons' crop is stimulated by hormones to take on a 'lactating' role. Interestingly, in a study where pigeon milk was fed to chickens, the growth rate of the baby chicks increased by 38%.

Answer 5

They don"t produce white milk like cow do. What they do is feeding the babies with they from their beaks. The subtance they feed the little ones is in liquid state so they could swallow it.

Answer 6

No, birds do not breastfeed their young.