Birds
Birds have extremely fast metabolisms and air-sac respiratory systems, making them acutely sensitive to avocado (persin), caffeine, and chocolate.
1 foods reviewed for Birds
Toxicology Profile
Persin Cardiotoxicity
Avocado contains persin, a fungicidal toxin that causes myocardial necrosis (heart-muscle death) and respiratory distress in birds. Even a small bite can be fatal within 24–48 hours.
Air-Sac Vulnerability
Birds breathe with a continuous-flow system involving air sacs that concentrates airborne compounds — including vapors from overheated non-stick pans (PTFE) and fumes from cooking onions — far more than mammalian lungs.
High Metabolic Rate
A bird's resting metabolic rate is 2–4× higher than similarly sized mammals. Toxic thresholds are reached at much lower absolute doses, making even brief exposures potentially lethal.