Wedge-tailed shearwaters

Social odors have rarely been reported in birds. The respiration rate of wedge-tailed shearwaters Puffinus pacificus) increases in response to the odor of an unfamiliar conspecific (Shallenberger, 1975). Domestic ducks altered social and sexual behavior after bilateral section of the olfactory nerve, or after treatment with amyl acetate or ethyl acrylate (Balthazart and Schoffeniels, 1979). Some bird species are known for their strong characteristic odors. For instance. 

Shallenberger, R. J. (1975). Olfactory use in the wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacifi-cus) on Manana Island, Hawaii. In Olfaction and Taste, vol. 5, ed. D. A. Denton and J. P. Coghlan, pp. 355-359. New York Academic Press. 

Shallenberger, R. J, 1973, "Breeding biology, homing behavior, and communication patterns of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Pufflnus paciflcus," Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of California, Los Angeles. 

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