Pigeons and their drinking habits

[Pat]

I've noticed that birds throw their heads back when drinking but pigeons don't, not sure why, it's just something I've observed myself.

[Boddie]

I have to say I never noticed that either Pat but now I will view pigeons and wander why. Do they have tongues maybe to help them and other birds don't?

[wildone]

I think you will find that as most birds fill their beaks wih water then lift their heads to let it run down, pigeon syphon the water. I'm not sure but I think most if not all birds have tongues. Perhaps it has something to do with the way they breathe. Wildone

[henrya]

Like Wildone, I think most birds have tongues. I've looked in a couple of books and they just say that members of the pigeon family are unique amongst birds in that they drink continously, head down. But they don't actually say how this is acheived! (Possibly because they don't know!) I hope someone can find the answer.

henrya

[Boddie]

Come to think of it my old budgie definitely had a tongue. I have noticed many birds shake when they appear to be drinking also.

[wildone]

I don't know if this may have something to do with it. Pigeons as you may be aware feed their young on 'crop milk'. Could it be that the method of drinking is a throw-back to the squabs having to drink more continuously? I wonder if the sea birds who predigest the food for their young have a similar way of drinking. Just a thought.

Wildone

[henrya]

Quote
Could it be that the method of drinking is a throw-back to the squabs having to drink more continuously? I wonder if the sea birds who predigest the food for their young have a similar way of drinking.
Endquote

Pigeons have a double crop which apparently allows them to produce 'crop milk' so maybe that also allows them to generate suction?

According to the books it's just the pigeon family who drink like pigeons. And if you're a sea bird, drinking is probably just a case of submerging and swallowing! A penguin would surely have to bend its spine double to drink like a land bird.

henrya

[Pat]

I've been in touch with the RSPB and they've given me this explanation.
Apparantly all birds have tongues although they are significantly different from the equivalent mammalian structure, this means that most birds do not have the muscle structure to drink continuously and have to use gravity to do the work. The pigeons do not have an extensive tongue but they have a different muscle structure in the throat due to their communication abilities and it is this that allows continuous drinking.

[Tragus]

You beat me to it Pat
We call the ability to drink like a pigeon, 'syphoning', Doves also drink in the same way. An extremely thirsty pigeon can suck up water for what seems like ages to us, and to prompt a dehydrated pigeon to drink is simply dip its beak into water for a couple of seconds and 9 times out of 10 it will suddenly guzzle!!.
This only applys to pigeons and doves, do NOT try this with other birds as you will probably choke them.

Tragus