Crimson rosella uses beak to sniff fellow birds and potential mates, Deakin research finds

IT turns out Polly might be best served ditching that cracker for some cologne.

Researchers at Deakin University have found an iconic Australian bird uses it beak to sniff out its own species, and even potential lovebirds.

Deakin’s Centre for Integrative Ecology found that crimson rosella parrots can recognise each other by a distinct smell left over from their feathers. The finding proves that the colourful creatures are more reliant on their sense of smell than previously thought.

“It has always been said that birds had no sense of smell but these findings indicate that they rely on their olfactory senses to communicate with one another and possibly even choose mates,” PhD student and project leader Milla Mihailova said.

The study relied on nest boxes at Bellbrae and Steiglitz in Victoria over two breeding seasons from 2011 to 2013, to gather its findings.

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