I am not sure if this is a correct answer to your question, because i am no expert on fowl, but I am not aware of birds ever having gill slits in there formation. Humans have slits that have been misconstrued to be gill slits but those are there to help with the formation of your neck and ears.
I imagine that the two cases are related, but, like I said, I am no expert on birds.
by the gill slits
All chordates embryos have pharngeal slits.
A leopard shark has five gill slits on either side of its body. The gill slits are on the sides of the shark's head.
It would be more appropriate to say that all vertebrate embryos develop pharyngeal gill slits during one of the many phases in their embryonic development. This is because while gills are specifically present in fishes, pharyngeal gill slits are a general chordate feature.
Gill slits in sharks and rays help to funnel water into the gills, which empty into the pharynx and eventually the lungs.
The openings in the throat region of a fish that lead to the gill chamber are called gill slits. These slits allow water to flow over the gills so that oxygen can be absorbed and carbon dioxide can be released.
Pharyngeal slits are not gill slits. They are filter-feeding organs in non-vertebrates, and are used to strain matter and food from water.
all chordates
A cookie cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) has five pairs of gill slits, which is characteristic of most shark species. These gill slits allow the shark to extract oxygen from water as it swims.
gill slits
yes.
Sharks typically have 5 to 7 pairs of gill slits located on the sides of their bodies. These slits are used for obtaining oxygen from the water to breathe.