Bird anatomy is different from human anatomy, in fact, different birds have different anatomy too. All birds have wings but some are larger than others, they have varying sized beaks, they have varying sized feathers and their insides are different too. One well-known part of bird anatomy is the crop, the crop is where food is stored before it reaches the proventriculus and then the gizzard. Many birds may have a crop but some do not. This article explores the question of ‘do crows have a crop’ 

Crows do not have crops as many other birds do. If they need to store food they use a pouch under their tongue called the expandable sublingual pouch. Yet, the expandable sublingual pouch is not used as often as a crop is. If the bird does not take food into this pouch, it enters directly into the proventriculus then the gizzard 

Do crows have a crop?

Crows are omnivores, they eat both plant and animal matter. Their diet includes carrion, seeds, mammals, grains, reptiles, nuts, eggs, amphibians, molluscs, worms, and non-insect arthropods. But this food does not get stored in a crop

Crows do not have crops as other birds do, if they need to store food it is kept in their expandable sublingual pouch. This pouch is located on the floor of the bird’s mouth and stretches to the shape of the food that the bird is storing. It will then return back into shape when the food has gone down into the digestive system

When the bird finds food it brings it into its mouth, the food then enters the pouch through an opening at the base of the bird’s tongue. The pouch is flexible, wrinkled, elastic, thin and very stretchy 

If the food is not stored in the pouch, it travels straight into the proventriculus and then into the gizzard, all birds have these two organs, these two organs digest food. The proventriculus is where birds secrete digestive enzymes which digest food. The second part, the gizzard, is where food is pulverized. In addition to food, crows eat rocks and stones, rocks and stones make their way into the gizzard and help pulverize the food in the gizzard 

Which birds do not have crops?

While most birds have crops some do not, birds that do not have crops include owls, buttonquails and geese. When these birds eat food it enters directly into the digestive system of the animal. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, crows do not have a crop. Crows are one of few birds that exist that do not have a crop. When they eat, the food usually enters into their digestive system without being stored anywhere. If the bird does need to store food it will be stored under the mouth in the expandable sublingual pouch.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other crop related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Treating an impacted crop with olive oil, does it work?, Sour crop in pigeons, how this happens, Sour crop treatment: apple cider vinegar, effective or harmful, Is sour crop contagious?, Antibiotics for sour crop, are they needed?, Sour crop medication, safe and effective ways to cure your bird, Baking soda for sour crop, does it work?