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Fecal sac

Mucous membrane produced by bird nestlings

Mucous membrane produced by bird nestlings

A fecal sac (also spelled faecal sac) is a mucous membrane, generally white or clear with a dark end, |access-date = 2009-12-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081010223857/http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v078n01/p0047-p0056.pdf |archive-date = 2008-10-10

Not all species generate fecal sacs. They are most prevalent in passerines and their near relatives, which have altricial young that remain in the nest for longer periods. In some species, the fecal sacs of small nestlings are eaten by their parents. In other species, and when nestlings are older, sacs are typically taken some distance from the nest and discarded.

Removal of fecal material helps to improve nest sanitation, which in turn helps to increase the likelihood that nestlings will remain healthy. |archive-date = 2012-09-01 |access-date = 2010-09-19 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120901234055/http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v097n01/p0050-p0056.pdf

Scientists can use fecal sacs to learn a number of things about individual birds. Examination of the contents of the sac can reveal details of the nestling's diet, | doi-access= free

References

References

  1. (2017). "Evolution of nestling faeces removal in avian phylogeny". Animal Behaviour.
  2. (2019). "Experimentally broken faecal sacs affect nest bacterial environment, development and survival of spotless starling nestlings". Journal of Avian Biology.
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