How Do birds Breathe?

Bird breathing

Different types of birds breathe more efficiently than all other wild vertebrate animals, as air passes through the channels of the lungs and through small blood vessels called parabronchi, where gas exchange takes place. It is worth noting that the breathing system of birds is unidirectional, as the air It flows through the bronchi in one direction only, as this unidirectional flow is similar to the gills of fish, unlike the closed-ended alveoli of mammals.

Inhalation and exhalation of birds

Air passes through the cycle of respiration in birds through several stages, as follows:

First Inspiration: Air moves through the trachea and bronchi to the posterior air sacs.
First exhalation: air moves from the posterior air sacs into the lungs.
Second Inhale: Air moves from the lungs to the frontal air sacs.
Second exhalation: the air moves from the frontal air sacs back into the trachea and then out.

Characteristics of the respiratory system of birds

The respiratory system of birds has several characteristics, namely:

The respiratory system in birds transports oxygen from the air to the internal tissues, and gets rid of carbon dioxide.
The respiratory system in birds plays an important role in maintaining normal body temperature.
The respiratory system of birds differs from that of other vertebrates, as birds have relatively small lungs in addition to nine air sacs that play an important role in the respiration process, but do not participate directly in the gas exchange process.
Birds can breathe through the mouth or their nostrils, as the air enters through these openings and then passes through the pharynx and then into the semi-trachea, which is usually along the neck.

Stages of respiration in birds

During the growth process of birds , the breathing process passes through three stages, namely:

Prenatal stage: Gas exchange occurs during the prenatal stage by diffusion between the external environment and the vascular area.
Hatching stage: This stage begins when the beak penetrates into the air sac between the inner and outer structural membrane, and this occurs during the last 2-3 days of the incubation period. During this stage, the lungs begin to replace the placenta as a space for gas exchange.
Postnatal stage: The postnatal stage begins when the beak pierces the shell.