Sense of Smell for Birds - Page 2

The Turkey Vulture is not the only bird with a good sense of smell. This sense is also well developed in many seabirds, such as the Albatross and the shearwater. These birds follow odor trails in the wind and gather around the source of the small. Scientist made this discovery when they put out special rafts equipped with an odor source and then watched as the birds began tracing the smells upwind. Bird-watchers take advantage of this behavior by chumming, just as fishermen sometimes do. To see as many seabirds as possible on a boat trip off the coast, bird-watchers throw strong-smelling fish pieces overboard. This can attract hundreds of birds that might otherwise have remained far from the boat.