Native Bird Care

Did you know that birds have a very good sense of smell? In fact, some have extraordinary abilities in that department (seabirds, for example). There is an oft-quoted myth about birds being daft in the olfactory senses, but just the opposite is true. In V Abankwah's 2020 Literature Review of said subject, he cites studies spanning decades that point to this sensory ability of many birds, even songbirds. "...Although we know very little about odor detection
thresholds in birds, there is evidence that for certain odorants, detection thresholds in passerines are probably comparable with those of mammals, such as rabbits, rats (Clark, Avilova, & Bean, 1993), and possibly humans (Abraham, Sanchez-Moreno, Cometto-Muniz, & Cain, 2012)." Granted, there will be differences in the sniffing talents of species, "there is every reason to assume that for most species olfaction plays an important role in their day-to-day lives." Even the minuscule Zebra Finch has olfactory genes that are quite competent. But don't worry, parent birds won't leave their little munchkins to fend for themselves if you touch them, even though they will perceive our human fragrance. Most moms wouldn't. (It is notable that many birds are in fact vulnerable to our anthropogenic wafts, chemical or otherwise. We are wise to watch out if we have domesticated avians in our homes or use chemicals in our yards. Citation: Avian Olfaction: A Review of the Recent Literature, 2020. If you want a fun read, see Whittaker's The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent. (Robin by Jane Tibbetts).