Morphometrical and histological comparative analyses of omnivorous birds gastrointestinal tract

1.

Russian State Agrarian University Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev
by N. Titova
a first -year master degree student
Faculty of Animal Science
English supervisor: associate pr. T. Fomina
Scientific supervisors – pr. L.Malovichko,
associate pr. A. Semak
Moscow 2014
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2. The aim: to compare morphometric and histological parameters of glandular stomach and duodenum of model omnivorous bird

species.
The tasks:
- to study summer ration of Jay (Garrulus glandarius) and
Magpie Ordinary (Pica pica) ( family Corvidae);
- to define morphological features of jay’s and magpie’s
gastrointestinal tracts;
- to investigate and compare histological glandular stomach
and duodenum structure of the given bird species.
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3. Place of study

Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Magpie Ordinary (Pica pica)
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4. The research scheme

Object of research
Magpie ordinary (Pica pica)
Jay ordinary (Garrulus
glandarius)
7 birds
11 birds
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
bird-watching
morphometry of
gastrointestinal tract
preparation of histological
sections
catching birds
analysis of gastrointestinal
chyme
analysis of gastrointestinal
tract histological structure
morphometric
measurements of birds
quantitative and
qualitative composition of
feed ration
biometric data processing
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5. Summer feed composition of birds

Magpie
1%
32%
vertebrates
67%
invertebrates
Jay
plant food
5%
19%
Позвоночные
Беспозвоночные
Ра стительна я пища
76%
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6.

Morphometric characteristics of glandular
stomach
Relative weight of the glandular stomach (%)
Absolute weight of glandular stomach (grams)
0,7
0,5
0,31
Magpies
0,28
Jays
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7. Histological structure of glandular stomach

muscular coat (MIC)
mucous membrane (MIC)
363
445,9
3
1
863,25
2
989,2
573,37
1
submucosa (MIC)
321,8
2
Magpies
Jays
1 - mucous membrane
2 - digestive glands of the submucosa
3 - muscular coat
3
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8. Morphometric characteristics of duodenum

The relative length of the duodenum (%)
Absolute length of the duodenum (mm)
94
54,3
34
17,5
Magpies
Jays
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9. Histological structure of the duodenum

muscular layer (MIC)
cryptas (MIC)
muscular plate (MIC)
villi (MIC)
3
1
780,27
2
537,8
211,2
29,3
53,7
Magpies
1
161,9
9,62
116,58
Jays
1- layer of fibers
2 - layer of digestive glands (crypts)
3 - muscular coat
2
3
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10. Conclusions

1) Differences in summer food composition of magpies and jays in the Stavropol
region were analyzed. The main feed components for magpies are invertebrates
(67%), while for jays - vertebrates (76%).
2) A connection between the histological structure of gastrointestinal tracts and basic
birds’ feeds was determined.
a) presence of a large number of insects in the magpie diet resulted in the
development of muscle membranes in glandular stomach;
b) development of muscle membranes in both magpies’ and jays’ glandular stomach
and muscle plate was found;
c) inverse relation between intestine villi length and thickness of the birds was
defined. A short magpies bowel wall layer of fibers is 72% and Jays intestine length
- 66%.
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11.

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