Birds temporarily store their food in the crop. The crop is a small pouch-like organ located near the bird's throat. It can stretch and expand to store food before it moves down to the rest of the digestive system. The food is softened and moistened in the crop, and then gradually passed on to the gizzard, which is a muscular part of the stomach where food is ground and broken down further. The gizzard is followed by the proventriculus and duodenum, where the food is further processed and digested.