2006-12-22 09:14:56 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Yes, they do.
Marine birds, such as these and others (e.g. penguins), have special salt glands that help them filter out the excess salt from their food and water, so as to avoid dehydration.
These glands are paired and kidney or crescent-shaped, and are situated in the head, above the eyes. They filter sodium chloride (table salt) and excrete it via ducts that open near the nostrils of the birds. Maybe you've seen one of these birds "sneeze" and blow out a whitish spray, that's the secretion from the salt gland.
Here's an old 'classic' scientific article about salt glands of birds:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/21/5/955.pdf
BTW, other sea vertebrates such as some crocodiles, turtles and sea snakes also have diverse salt glands.
2006-12-23 03:23:26 · answer #1 · answered by Calimecita 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
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2016-12-01 02:26:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sea birds can pump out excess salt by a small gland (aptly names the salt gland) behind their eye , this salt is then sent out of the bird though tubules out of the nostril.
2006-12-22 11:49:24 · answer #3 · answered by crazy.carabid 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe they have a ridge in thier bills that "sort" the salt from the water, so that they are actually drinking the freshwater. I know that penguins have such a groove or ridge, I'd imagine other water fowl also does.
2006-12-22 09:17:59 · answer #4 · answered by Abcdefg 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
no they don't drink sea water because sea water contains many mineral salts.they order in them
2006-12-29 02:57:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm sure they drink a little bit, but if they are even close in structure to humans, it doesn't do them any good, actually just dehydrates us more.
2006-12-28 06:40:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. They get the moisture they need from the food they eat.
2006-12-22 09:18:54 · answer #7 · answered by Dumb Dave 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋