- The female bird has a single functional ovary which produces the ova.
- The oviduct consists of five parts. Fertilization occurs in the infundibulum, where sperm are stored. The protein coat of the egg is added during the 3 hour passage through the magnum. The shell membranes are added by the keratin secreting glands of the isthmus. Water is added and the shell is calcified during the 20 hours spent in the uterus. The vagina adds a waxy coating and serves as a sperm storage site.
- The testes of the male are within the abdominal cavity and operate at higher temperatures than those of most mammals. Each testes produces sperm in the seminiferous tubules under the influence of interstitial and sustentacular cells. The sperm are transported via the efferernt ductules, epididymes, and ductus deferens to the cloaca.
- The cloaca is a common terminal passage for the reproductive, urinary, and digestive tract in both male and female birds. The reproductive tract enters the cloaca at the urodeum.
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