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anatomy guide

Parrot urinary system — avian kidneys, ureters, and uric acid

Overview of the avian urinary system in parrots — paired kidneys set into the pelvis, uric acid excreted as white urate, and ureters emptying directly into the cloaca.
General educational reference only — not clinical or veterinary advice. Anatomy varies between individual animals; consult a licensed veterinarian for any health concern.

Paired kidneys in the pelvis

A parrot has two kidneys, each divided into cranial, middle, and caudal lobes and recessed into hollows in the fused pelvic bones. The avian kidney holds two kinds of nephron: cortical, reptilian-type nephrons with no loop of Henle, and mammalian-type nephrons with a loop, which allow urine to be concentrated.

Uric acid instead of urea

Birds are uricotelic — nitrogenous waste is converted mainly to uric acid rather than urea. Uric acid is poorly soluble and leaves the body as a semi-solid white urate paste, which requires very little water. A normal dropping therefore has three visible parts: dark feces, white urate, and a little clear urine.

Ureters and the cloaca

Parrots have no urinary bladder and no urethra. Each ureter opens directly into the urodeum, the middle chamber of the three-part cloaca, which also receives the reproductive tract. Urine can move backwards from the urodeum into the coprodeum and colon, where more water and salts are reabsorbed before the dropping is voided.

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Respiratory systemDigestive systemSkeletal systemCardiovascular systemIntegumentary system

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