Commentary for Tahorot 1:3
נִבְלַת הָעוֹף הַטָּמֵא צְרִיכָה מַחֲשָׁבָה וְהֶכְשֵׁר, וּמְטַמְּאָה טֻמְאַת אֳכָלִין בְּכַבֵּיצָה, וְכַחֲצִי פְרָס לִפְסֹל אֶת הַגְּוִיָּה, וְאֵין בָּהּ כַּזַּיִת בְּבֵית הַבְּלִיעָה, וְהָאוֹכְלָהּ אֵין טָעוּן הֶעֱרֵב שֶׁמֶשׁ, וְאֵין חַיָּבִין עָלֶיהָ עַל בִּיאַת מִקְדָּשׁ. אֲבָל שׂוֹרְפִין עָלֶיהָ אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, וְהָאוֹכֵל אֵבָר מִן הַחַי מִמֶּנָּה אֵינוֹ סוֹפֵג אֶת הָאַרְבָּעִים, וְאֵין שְׁחִיטָתָהּ מְטַהֲרְ תָּהּ. הַכְּנָפַיִם וְהַנּוֹצָה, מִטַּמְּאוֹת וּמְטַמְּאוֹת וּמִצְטָרְפוֹת. הַחַרְטוֹם וְהַצִּפָּרְנַיִם, מִטַּמְּאִין וּמְטַמְּאִים וּמִצְטָרְפִין:
The carcass of an impure fowl requires thought [one must initially think to use it for food] and being primed [for impurity, by becoming wet]; and it renders foods impure when it has [at least the volume] equivalent to an egg, and [at least the volume] equivalent to half a loaf invalidates one's body [from eating <i>terumah</i> by rendering him impure]; and it does not have [the law of rendering one impure] when it is being swallowed when it has [at least the volume] equivalent to an olive; and one who eats it does not require [waiting until] sunset [on the day of his immersion before he becomes pure again]; and one is not liable for entering the temple [while impure] because of it; but <i>terumah</i> is burned on its account [i.e. one rendered impure by it renders <i>terumah</i> impure]; and one who eats a limb taken from it while alive does not endure the forty [lashes]; and slaughtering it does not purify it. The wings and feathers can be rendered impure, and can render impure, and are added together. The beak and the talons can be rendered impure, can render impure, and are added together.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
It conveys food uncleanness if its minimum bulk is that of an egg;
The consumption of a half of half a loaf's bulk of it renders one's person unfit to eat terumah;
There is no rule that an olive's worth defiles in the gullet;
He who eats of it need not wait for sunset;
No guilt is incurred on account of it for entering the sanctuary;
But on account of it terumah must be burnt.
He who eats a limb of it while it is alive is not subject to the penalty of forty stripes;
Slaughtering it does not render it fit.
The large feathers and the down contract uncleanness and convey uncleanness and combine with the flesh to constitute the prescribed minimum.
The beak and the claws contract uncleanness and convey uncleanness and combine [with the flesh to make up the prescribed minimum].
The mishnah now proceeds to talk about the purity rules governing the carrion of an unclean bird, one that is not "kosher." As we will see, some of these rules are the same as those we saw with regard to the carrion of a clean bird, but some are different.
Section one: The carrion of an unclean bird (a bird that one is not allowed to eat) is not unclean in a ritual purity sense, in and of itself. In order for it to become unclean, first one would have to have the intention to eat it and then it would have to be rendered susceptible to impurity through contact with a liquid. If these two things happen, and then it comes into contact with a source of impurity, it is impure. This differs from the carrion of a clean (edible) bird, which is a source of defilement in and of itself.
Section two: If it becomes impure, it now conveys impurity if there is the minimum size of an egg.
Section three: If a person eats an amount of carrion of unclean bird that is equivalent to the size of two eggs (half of the size of half of a loaf of bread) he cannot eat terumah until he immerses in a mikveh. This is the usual amount to cause a person to become impure through eating something impure.
Section four: Unlike the carrion of a clean bird, there is no special rule concerning one who swallows the amount of an olive. Such a person remains pure.
Section five: One who eats an amount the size of half of a half of a loaf of bread is impure, but he is pure immediately after he goes to the mikveh. He need not wait for the sun to set.
Section six: The defilement caused by eating this amount is only rabbinic. Therefore, if someone enters the sanctuary after having done so, he is not liable for transgressing a biblical commandment.
Section seven: Nevertheless, if this person touches terumah, the terumah must be burned. This is because terumah can be burned even if the level of the impurity is only rabbinic.
Section eight: The biblical prohibition of eating the limb of a living animal refers only to clean animals (and birds). Therefore, one who eats the limb of a living unclean bird is not liable for transgressing the biblical commandment. [Please understand this doesn't mean that one can do so, just that one who has done so is not liable for transgressing that particular negative commandment. He has transgressed another.]
Section nine: Obviously, slaughtering it does not render the unclean bird fit for consumption. This type of bird is unclean and forbidden for eating in all cases. The truth is that this clause is overly obvious. It is only here because it contrasts with the case of the clean bird.
Sections ten and eleven: When it comes to the unclean bird, since it is never permitted to be eaten, the edible and inedible parts combine to convey uncleanness.