Homing and Nest Recognition in Nocturnal Blue Petrels: What Scent May Attract Birds to their Burrows?

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 49; no. 7-8; pp. 384 - 396
• Main Authors: Zidat, Timothée, Gabirot, Marianne, Bonadonna, Francesco, Müller, Carsten T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2023; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animal biology; Behavior; Biochemistry; Biodiversity and Ecology; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding seasons; Burrows; Chemical composition; Ecology; Emission; Entomology; Environmental Sciences; Homing; Homing behavior; Insects; Life Sciences; Nests; Nocturnal; Odor; Odors; Olfaction; Olfactory stimuli; Organic compounds; Pheromones; Recognition; Vertebrate Zoology; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Procellariform Seabirds; Homing Behavior; Nest Air Odor; TD-GC-TOF-MS; Orientation; Olfaction

Hypogean petrels return to the same nest burrow to breed on remote islands during the summer months. Their nocturnal behavior at the colony, strong musky odor and olfactory anatomy suggest an important role of olfaction in homing behavior and nest recognition. Behavioral experiments showed that olfa...