Re: fig bird diet

Jenny's e-mail about figbirds not being able to digest food without 
it being regurgitated by their parents because of the lack of enzymes 
reminded me of something I was told. A man used to rear baby birds 
(lorikeets or rosellas I think, but I'm not sure) and to overcome this problem 
he'd place the food in his mouth and chew it up a bit before giving 
it to the birds. Apparently the enzymes in his saliva partially 
digested the food and did the same 
job as  what the parent birds do when they regurgitate food from their stomach 
to give to the babies.

Lainie Berry
Department of Biological Sciences
Monash University, Clayton Vic 3168