Sense of smell

[birdygirl]

Sense of Smell (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0527_030527_birdscent.html)

Here is a neat article.

[Love Bird B]

Hi Birdygirl!

This is an interesting article. My lovebird sometimes is stinky, I sometimes call her that too, LOL! I'm not quite sure what the issue is with that, but the odor fades away after a few minutes. I wonder if it could it be gas? Does anyone know and do you find this as humorous as I do?

B

[birdygirl]

Pionus parrots emit a musky odor when they are excited and they usually alway have it. SO there must be a reason. If it is not smelled by other birds why have it.

[Redstorm1721]

Hey, I asked that question long ago. That was a great article. Thanks for posting that. My Senegal has a beautiful smell,Thats what I love so much about her. I love her smell. I smell her all the time LOL.But I really believe that they can smell. No matter what people have said in articles. I also think ( My Thoughts ) thats why some birds pluck. They are addicted to their plumage. Maybe they can smell it?

[birdygirl]

I remebered that but just found that article on another board today.

[Amanda]

That's a very interesting article. And it's funny that you've brought up the topic of "smell". It reminded me of someone I knew (years ago) that had a cockatoo. She told me a story about her cockatoo not liking one of her perfumes. She said that when she wore that one particular scent (I forgot which one), he would bite her, but if she wore a different perfume, her cockatoo didn't bite her. She figured he just didn't like the smell of the other perfume.

[Love Bird B]

Wow, perhaps there's a scent that would stop my lovebird from biting fingers? Nah! :) I do wonder what scent that cockatoo preferred over the other one though.

I've been particularly careful about scents around Perky because I heard of their high sensitivity to things that could be fatal! I never would have believed that using those non-stick coated cookware could kill birds, along with the oil spray for pots and pans, room fresheners, and scented candles! I worry about car fumes and cover her cage when fumes of any kind waft in from outside. I guess I'm the real mother hen!

[Mrs.Birdy]

Birdygirl:

My Pionus also has a musky jungle essence. It is a pleasant odor especially after he gets his bath and is dried. I think I read that all Pionus Parrots have this musk in order to distinguish one another in the wild. ;)

[pionuspasion]

My Blue Head Pionus just had her bath today and lemme tell ya, the whole room smelled like wet Pionus.

[M Dalton]

I am controlled by a perky, pesky, Blue & Gold Macaw. She has her own "perfume," as I suspect all macaws do. Even we humans have natural scents that attract others of the opposite sex, but many confuse mother nature with odorous products applied to their bodies–sometimes to great excess.

Now for the critical question. Does anyone have a bird that communicates its ability to smell?

Mike Dalton
Florida

[Jenny]

My birds for the most part don't really have a smell, though if I get really close they smell wonderful! (to me....not anyone else i know!) The only time that they smell bad is right after they've taken a huge bath, and it's not a pleasant smell at all! However, compared to some things (like the nine ferrets boarding at once at my vet clinic........), it's not all that terrible. ;)

[Mrs.Birdy]

M.Dalton:

My Maximillian Pionus seems to communicate his sense of smell by yelling and marching back and forth on his perch every morning when I cook him his Beak Appetit food for breakfast. You see, it smells so good to us humans and I can only imagine that he smells it too and gets very excited.



:)