Smell has been called the most ancient sense, and songbirds, like many other creatures, make abundant use of it. The primary source of odors in most birds is preen oil, secreted by the uropygial gland and used by birds in grooming and maintaining their feathers. By smelling this oil, birds can recognize and assess potential mates and rivals. Recent evidence suggests that the odors are produced not by the birds themselves, but by symbiotic microbes associated with the uropygial gland. Birds’ social behavior affects the composition of these microbial communities, which results in birds from the same group having a similar odor. Danielle J. Whittaker, author of The Secret Perfume of Birds, will discuss several studies that have contributed to debunking the long-standing myth that birds have no sense of smell, and will describe the many ways that scent enhances avian life.
Dr. Danielle J. Whittaker is an evolutionary biologist and the managing director of the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) at Oregon State University (Corvallis). From gibbons in Indonesia to the Dark-eyed Juncos of North America, her research focuses on the forces that influence animal behavior, mate selection, and, ultimately, evolution. Whittaker was previously managing director of BEACON, the Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, at Michigan State University.