Lucky mark
Question: Local birds tend to eat little black insects. So how come they void
themselves on me from a great height with a white and annoyingly conspicuous
product?
Answer: It is a common misconception that the white droppings birds produce
are faeces.
In fact, they are urine. Birds excrete uric acid rather than urea because it
is an insoluble solid. This way they avoid wasting water when urinating, and is
just one of their adaptations for a good power-to-weight ratio.
Guy Cox
University of Sydney
New South Wales
Answer: The white material that comprises the droppings of birds,…
