Crop (anatomy)

A crop is a thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion that is found in many animals, including gastropods, earthworms^[1], leeches^[2], insects, and birds.

Cropping is used by bees to temporarily store nectar of flowers. When bees "suck" nectar, it is stored in their crop.^[3]

In a bird's digestive system, the crop is an expanded, muscular pouch near the gullet or throat. It is a part of the digestive tract, essentially an enlarged part of the esophagus. As with most other organisms that have a crop, the crop is used to temporarily store food. Not all birds have a crop. In adult doves and pigeons, the crop can produce crop milk to feed newly hatched birds.^[4]

• Esophagus
• Proventriculus
• Gizzard

• The Alimentary Canal in Birds

Template:Digestive system

Template:Digestive-stub

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