Vol. 12, Special Issue 7 (2023)

The present study was conducted on the esophagus of pigeons to observe their gross anatomical and biometric features. Six pigeons were dissected for this purpose. The esophagus was found to consist of three main parts: the cervical part, crop, and thoracic part. The cervical part extended from the caudal end of the pharynx to the cranial end of the crop. It was located on the right side of the neck, on the lateral aspect. The mucosal surface of the cervical part exhibited longitudinal folds. The crop, a bilobed diverticulum of the esophagus, comprised a middle lobe and two lateral lobes. It was situated at the cranial inlet of the thoraco-abdominal cavity, between the cervical and thoracic parts of the esophagus. The mucosal surface of the lateral lobes displayed irregular folds, while the middle lobe appeared smooth. The thoracic part of the esophagus was tube-like and extended from the caudal end of the crop to the cranial end of the proventriculus. It was positioned in the midline of the body, to the right side of the trachea. It then continued dorsal to the heart and primary bronchi, passing between the two lungs. The mucosal surface of the thoracic part exhibited longitudinal folds. Biometrically, the mean ± SE values for the length of the cervical part, empty and filled crop, and thoracic part of the esophagus were 3.50 ± 0.13 cm, 2.92 ± 0.13 cm (empty), 4.28 ± 0.08 cm (filled), and 4.03 ± 0.10 cm, respectively. The mean ± SE values for the number of mucosal folds in the cervical and thoracic parts of the esophagus were 22.67 ± 0.76 and 8.83 ± 0.31, respectively.