Pigeon ‒ Anatomy

The pigeon's skeleton is highly adapted for flight, designed to provide both added rigidity and efficient weight distribution. Its bones are pneumatic, containing air-filled spaces, and its skull is fused for brain protection while remaining lightweight. Most of the pigeon’s body weight is concentrated in its flight muscles, with the mass focused ventrally to maintain aerodynamic stability during flight. Pigeons, like all birds, have a double circulatory system with a four-chambered heart. This system must be exceptionally efficient to meet the high metabolic demands of flight, as must the respiratory system. To facilitate efficient oxygen delivery, pigeons have large air sacs that enhance lung function to allow continuous oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. In the pigeon’s digestive system, a crop stores food and aids in preliminary digestion, and the gizzard, a specialized stomach, grinds up larger grains. The digestion process can vary in length depending on the type of food consumed. The pigeon's nervous system is complex, comprising a central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and a peripheral nervous system (nerves, ganglia and sensory organs). Its primary functions are to receive, analyze and respond to environmental information, store data, and coordinate muscle impulses.