Feathers have their own scents, and predators know it

November 13, 2017 by Karl Gruber, Particle

In the holey battle of Aussie bushlands, smelly birds get their feathers ruffled.

Crimson rosellas are colourful and cute parrots, native to eastern and south eastern Australia. They are also very smelly birds.

"They smell like an old jumper, which has been drenched in really cheap and old perfume," says Dr Milla Mihailova, a former doctoral student at Deakin University's Centre for Integrative Ecology.

But their musky smell is not a reminder of an overdue bath (like for some of us).

For crimson rosellas, feather odour is important for their nesting behaviour.

"Feather odour influences how much time females spend at their nest. For example, if a female can smell that a male or the same subspecies has been around, she will arrive back to the nest quicker and stay at the nest for longer," says Milla.

And it is not just about nesting.

Birds of a feather smell together

For these colourful parrots, the smell of their feathers is a way of communication. They can learn all sorts of things from a sniff. Like what kind of individual was around, if it was a male or female or what subspecies or species it was.

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