Breathing Privilege: Birds Got The Premium Package

Ever notice how birds are just casually flexing on us with their respiratory system? While we're stuck with our basic alveolar lungs that only exchange oxygen in one direction, birds are rocking parabronchial lungs that allow air to flow continuously through their system like some kind of biological Tesla innovation. Fish get efficient lamellae gills, and what do mammals get? The evolutionary equivalent of a flip phone in the smartphone era. No wonder SpongeBob looks increasingly distressed as he realizes how inefficient mammalian breathing actually is compared to our avian overlords. Next time you're out of breath after climbing stairs, remember there's a pigeon somewhere breathing four times more efficiently without breaking a sweat.