According to an article in the National Geographic News (2003), recent studies have been drawn towards a neglected area of research concerning the role of smell in the courtship behaviour of birds. Known as allanointing, (Douglas III, 2008) these are signals used by animals to communicate.
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The crested Auklet, a seabird found in Alaska and Siberia, is one such bird that has been studied. According to a particular investigation (Douglas III, 2008), it is said to allanoint when choosing a mate by rubbing the bill, chest, head and neck over the latter’s wick feathers. The scent produced by the crested Auklet has been likened to peeled tangerines (Hagelin, 2007) and described as a pungent, citrus-like odour. According to Douglas III (2008), the stronger the odour transmitted, the more sexually attractive they become.
An experimental study on the function of this crested Auklet’s feather odour concluded that it played a definite social function (Jones, et al., 2004). In the experiment, male and female models of the crested Auklet were applied with a synthetic chemical scent, while the control models had no added odour. Both females and males responded to the corresponding models of both sexes by approaching the scented models more closely and for a longer period of time. Though neither made sexual displays of courtship behaviour, the study did not exclude this possibility. It noted that odour could have a significant function during the courtship behaviour itself, which was beyond the scope of the study. It is clear however, that smell has a social function among the crested Auklets, and that it could also play an important role in mating.
Hagelin’s (2007) suggests that a reason why scent might play an important role in the courtship behaviour of crested Auklets is that they nest underground in the dark. This clearly points to the possibility of a heightened importance for scent in the mating of the crested Auklet, instead of the visual and vocal displays that have often been the focus of studies in the courtship behaviour of birds.
To conclude, research in this area appears to be in its initial stages, but, as mentioned earlier, the role of scent as a social function is undeniable, and opens up possibilities to its importance in courtship behaviour among birds. Interested parties might want to pay attention to another bird in the study of allanointing among
birds. This is the Kakapo, an endangered species of parrots found in New
Zealand. According to Hagelin (2007), it produces a very strong, sweet
scent that smells like dust and honey, and the birds have a very strong sense of smell themselves. It is however, difficult to study because it only mates every three to seven years.
References:
Douglas III, Hector D. 2008. “Prenuptial perfume” Alloanointing in the social rituals of the crested auklet (Aethia
cristatella) and the transfer of arthropod deterrents.” Naturwissenschaften. 95,1:45-53.
Hagelin, Julie C. 2007. “The bird’s nose knows.”
College Campus News. Retrieved March 19,2008.
(http://www.collegenews.org/x6881.xml)
Jones, Ian L., Julie C. Hagelin, Heather L. Major and L.E.L. Rasmussen. 2004. “An experimental field study of the
function of crested auklet feather odor.”
The Condor 106:71-78.
Pickrell, John. 2003. “Smell may play role in bird courtship, study finds.”
National Geographic News. Retrieved
March 20, 2008.
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0527_030527_birdscent.html)