Crop (anatomy) Crop (anatomy) A crop (sometimes also called a croup or a craw, or ingluvies) is a thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion. This anatomical structure is found in a wide variety of animals. It has been found in birds, and in invertebrate animals including gastropods (snails and slugs), earthworms, leeches, and insects. Cropping is used by bees to temporarily store nectar of flowers. When bees "suck" nectar, it is stored in their crops. In a bird's digestive system, the crop is an expanded, muscular pouch near the gullet or throat.
Birds of the Danube Delta Birds of the Danube Delta Following an almost two-decade (1951–1970) research of the Danube Delta territory, 274 bird species were identified of which 176 were brooding (sedentary and migratory) and 98 non-brooding ones (winter, passage, erratic, and accidental birds). The species of brooding birds occurring in the Danube Delta were classified into 12 main biotopes, the classification criterion being represented by the nesting place where they show the greatest relative density. As to their dynamics, the brooding birds include: 44 sedentary species and 132 migratory ones. The great number of migratory species is explained by the optimal conditions of nesting