If you've been reading this column for any length of time, you know that I'm always in the mood for baseball questions. Well, this week I'm particularly in the mood for baseball questions, with the playoffs about to start and a baseball theme column looming on the horizon. So throw me the best you've got! Curveballs and changeups accepted.
I have noticed that a few bird droppings have been a bright darkish purple. I never have seen this before, any ideas?
- M
As I mentioned in a previous column, bird droppings are made of three primary components:
First, there's liquid urine, which comes from the kidneys. This can sometimes go unnoticed because there's often not much of it, and because it's clear and watery and can easily dry up or seep into the ground (or your hat) before anyone bothers to look.
Second, there are the chalky urates, which are salts derived from uric acids. These are also byproducts of the kidneys, and can be thought of as "solid" urine. Urates will be some shade of white (from bright snowy white to cream) unless the bird is sick.
Third, there's the stool or feces, the solid, "coloured" part that comes from the colon.
The colour of this component depends on the bird's diet, and usually ranges from brown to green — because most things a bird eats are brown or green. However, a bird who's been eating beets or strawberries will have reddish stool, and a bird who's been eating blueberries, mulberries or huckleberries will have purplish poop.
The droppings you saw were probably the end result of whatever purple berries were in season in your area.
Sources: Wingwise, AvianWeb.com, ZuPreem, Robin Research
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