"Birds do Smell".

[Sara]

Birds that smell
Tim Birkhead Behavioural ecologist, University of Sheffield

Storm petrels are small nocturnal seabirds that breed in dark burrows or crevices.

One of the most striking features of these birds is that they smell - a warm, musky smell.

It is known that they find their food out on the ocean by means of a sophisticated olfactory ability (or sense of smell), so it isn't too surprising that they use this sense of smell in their social lives.

Many species of birds and other animals have ways of making sure they avoid mating with a relative: storm petrels do it by smell.

Tim Birkhead is the author of the book Bird Sense

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