The uropygial gland is a holocrine secretory gland of birds. The lipid and the waxy sebum
that the gland secretes is coated on the beak and transferred to the plumage in preening.
The composition of the gland secretions from birds of different species has been determined,
but little is known about the lipids of the secretion of the gland of the rock dove Columba
livia. The amount of secretion, the total lipid content and the fatty acids composition of the
secretion of C. livia captured in the nonbreeding season was reported. The mean amount of …