Yes, parrots do produce saliva, which is commonly referred to as “spit”. Saliva serves important functions for parrots, just as it does for other animals. When parrots eat, saliva helps moisten food and begin the digestive process. Saliva also helps parrots groom and preen their feathers to keep them in good condition. While parrots produce far less saliva than mammals like dogs or humans, they rely on their spit for some daily functions.
What is bird spit?
Bird saliva is a watery secretion produced in glands in the mouth. The scientific name for bird spit is avian saliva. This saliva consists mainly of water along with some enzymes, antibodies, and electrolytes. Saliva moistens food, helping birds swallow it more easily. It also starts breaking down starches and fats during digestion.
Additionally, saliva helps lubricate a bird’s mouth and throat. This allows them to form words and vocalizations more easily. The enzymes and antibodies in saliva also protect against bacteria that could cause disease. When parrots groom themselves, they spread saliva over their feathers. The saliva helps condition feathers and reinforces the microscopic barbicel hooklets that hold them together.
Key facts about parrot spit
- Parrots produce far less saliva than mammals.
- Their saliva is composed mainly of water with some enzymes and electrolytes.
- Saliva moistens food to aid swallowing and digestion.
- It helps lubricate parrots’ throats for vocalizations.
- Saliva helps parrots preen and condition their feathers.
Do all birds have spit?
All species of birds produce saliva and utilize it in generally the same ways. However, there are some differences between various bird groups. Below are some key points about saliva in different types of birds:
- Songbirds: Produce very small amounts of saliva. They have smaller salivary glands compared to parrots.
- Pigeons: Generate slightly more saliva than songbirds. They rely on it to help moisten food eaten by their young.
- Birds of prey: Such as eagles, hawks, and owls. They produce more saliva because they often ingest bones, fur, and feathers that are difficult to swallow and digest without sufficient spit.
- Waterfowl: Ducks and geese produce large amounts of saliva. They use their spit to help swallow aquatic vegetation and moisten their nests.
- Parrots: Have the largest salivary glands relative to body size of all birds. They need ample saliva to process dried fruits, seeds, and nuts in the wild.
So while all avian species produce saliva, parrots generate the most spit compared to other groups. This helps explain why parrot saliva and its effects are most noticeable to owners.
Why do parrots spit so much?
Parrots are known for being among the messiest and most prolific spitters in the bird world. But why exactly do parrots seem to produce so much saliva? There are a few key reasons:
Large salivary glands
As mentioned, parrots have very large salivary glands for their body size. Their glands are proportionally larger compared to other birds. This gives parrots greater capacity to produce more saliva.
Dry natural diets
Parrots use their beaks and tongues to break open and manipulate food items. In the wild, parrots eat dried nuts, hard fruits, and seeds that all require saliva to soften and digest. The abundance of saliva helps complement their dry diets.
Digestive enzymes
Parrot saliva contains high levels of digestive enzymes like amylase for breaking down starches. Their spit helps start breaking down food before it even reaches the stomach. More saliva provides greater enzymatic activity.
Feeding behaviors
Parrots bring food to their mouths using their beaks and tongues. This transfers a lot of saliva onto the food. Parrots also regurgitate food for their mates and chicks, coating it in spit. Their feeding behaviors distribute saliva.
Curiosity and boredom
Parrots inspect objects orally and will bite, chew, and lick items when curious or bored. This liberally applies saliva to their surroundings. Young, playful parrots tend to spit up more.
Do parrots spit on purpose?
Sometimes it can seem like parrots intentionally spit and try to aim it at their owners. However, parrots don’t actually spit out of spite or malice. Below are some reasons parrots may appear to spit deliberately:
- Playing and exploring with their beak and tongue spreads saliva around inadvertently.
- Saliva may spray as they shake their head while preening or regurgitating.
- Chewing and biting items transfers excess saliva.
- Saliva builds up quickly when parrots are hot and panting.
- Parrots fling saliva around bill wiping to clean their beak on objects.
- Hormonal behavior like mating dances and regurgitation for chicks increases saliva.
So while parrots don’t spit out of anger or intent, their natural behaviors often fling saliva. Their oral exploration, feeding habits, and hormone changes all lead to excessive spitting that can seem deliberate to owners. But it’s just normal parrot messiness.
Is parrot spit harmful?
Parrot saliva is not especially dangerous, but it does carry some potential health risks in certain situations:
- Bites can transfer bacteria into wounds, causing infections.
- Allergens in saliva may trigger reactions in sensitive people if bitten.
- Saliva can corrode and damage some surfaces if left to dry.
- Psittacosis is a bacterial disease parrots can spread through saliva.
- Saliva flung into eyes could potentially cause irritation.
However, when proper precautions are taken, parrot spit is not highly hazardous. As long as you avoid being bitten, wash hands after handling birds, and disinfect areas, saliva itself poses minimal dangers. The messiness and cleaning hassles of parrot spit are usually a far bigger nuisance than health risks.
Is parrot saliva acidic?
Parrot saliva has a pH around 7.5, making it slightly alkaline rather than acidic. However, parrot spit does contain trace amounts of acids that help break down food. These small acidic levels, combined with enzymes in saliva, can eventually corrode or stain some household surfaces. But parrot saliva is not highly acidic and poses little risk of burns. The alkaline composition also helps buffer the pH in their mouths.
How much spit do parrots produce?
There are no precise measurements available on the quantity of saliva parrots generate. However, some estimates indicate:
- Parrots produce up to 20 times more saliva than similar-sized mammals.
- Larger parrot species like macaws can generate over 5 milliliters of saliva per day.
- Active parrots may produce up to 1 milliliter of saliva per hour at peak times.
- Saliva output is highest during and after feedings.
- Hot temperatures, panting, and playing increase saliva.
- Parrots make the most spit as juveniles and during breeding seasons.
The prodigious quantities of parrot drool can make it seem like they have an endless supply! But saliva production varies based on age, health, diet, and activity level throughout the day.
Do parrots drool?
Parrots do not drool constantly like some mammals. Their salivary glands secrete spit more intermittently. However, parrots will exhibit drooling behavior in some specific circumstances:
During and after feedings
Eating stimulates saliva production. You may see strands of drool after a parrot finishes a meal.
While being petted
Petting and scratching releases endorphins that can make parrots drool with contentment, much like a happy dog.
When hot
Heat stresses parrots and makes them pant more, which flings excess saliva around.
If unwell
Illness, mouth infections, and metabolic disorders can all increase drooling in parrots.
During breeding season
Hormonal changes make parrots more vocal and stimulated, which raises saliva levels.
So while not constant droolers, parrots will display temporary drooling behavior in certain situations. This is normal and not a direct sign of illness on its own. But increased drooling paired with other symptoms merits an avian veterinarian visit.
Do parrots use spit when building nests?
Parrots don’t actually use much saliva when constructing nests. However, their close relatives the swiftlet birds create their entire nests out of hardened bird spit!
Swiftlets build intricate edible nests made entirely from their thick, mucus-like saliva. They use these saliva nests raise their chicks. The nests are considered a delicacy and are used to make bird’s nest soup.
But parrots build simpler twig nests, only using small amounts spit to help clump materials together. Parrots may use saliva to moisten and soften nesting materials for chicks. However, parrot nest construction relies far less on spit compared to swiftlets.
Do parrots use spit when preening?
Yes, parrots distribute saliva over their feathers when preening to help condition them. Preen oil from their uropygial gland near the tail provides the main waterproofing for feathers. But parrots also spread small amounts of saliva as they groom to help reinforce barbicels.
When parrots preen, they nibble and grind their beaks over feathers to redistribute oil and realign barbules. This transfers trace amounts of spit over the feathers. Saliva helps adhere the tiny hooklets that connect barbules together.
Using saliva when preening provides moisture as well as natural enzymes and antibodies. This helps maintain healthy, flexible feathers. However, excessive preening can over-moisten feathers or redistribute too much debris.
How parrots use saliva when preening
- Moistens and conditions feathers
- Helps adhere barbicel hooklets
- Applies natural enzymes and antibacterials
- Keeps feathers flexible when distributed sparingly
- Can become excessive during stress preening
So parrots do utilize a bit of spit for regular feather maintenance. But they rely more heavily on preen oil versus large amounts of saliva when preening.
Do parrots spit up food?
Parrots intentionally spit up food in a few specific circumstances:
Regurgitating for mates and chicks
Parrots regurgitate food from their crop to feed mates and babies during breeding season. The food is coated with saliva.
Transferring food
Parrots may pass pieces of foods to mates or favored humans via regurgitation.
Bill wiping
Parrots wipe leftover food from their bill onto objects. This deposits spit along with bits of food.
Unwanted food
Parrots may occasionally spit out disliked foods or hulls.
So parrots do spit up foods, but almost always intentionally. However, sudden or chronic regurgitation of undigested food is abnormal and requires veterinary attention.
Why do parrots rub their beaks after eating?
Parrots often wipe or rub their beaks after eating. This behavior, known as bill wiping, serves multiple functions:
- Removes excess food and debris
- Transfers preening oil over the beak
- Deposits saliva onto preferred wiping surfaces
- Marks territory by leaving saliva in key areas
- Sign of contentment, like licking lips
Bill wiping is normal parrot behavior after meals. It deposits a mix spit, food, and preen oil. Parrots often choose to wipe their beaks on owners as bonding behavior. But excessive wiping may signal discomfort or health issues.
Do parrots spit up seeds?
It’s common for parrots to regurgitate and drop undigested seeds. Reasons include:
- Selectively spitting out less preferred seeds
- Removing old or rotten seeds
- Transferring seeds to mates or young
- Discarding excess hulls
- Overstuffing crop can cause inadvertent spitting up
This seed spitting is perfectly normal parrot behavior in most cases. However, chronic regurgitation of whole undigested seeds may indicate an underlying health issue.
Conclusion
While parrot saliva can make a big mess, it serves important biological functions for the birds. Parrots aren’t intentionally spiteful spitters, but their natural chewing, preening, and feeding habits spread saliva around prolifically. Understanding the role of parrot spit provides insight into your bird’s actions and helps you manage the drool. With some preparation for cleanup, you can enjoy your parrot’s company without getting too much of their spit on you!
