Birds have nostrils on their beaks, but you rarely hear about their sense of smell.
Can they even smell anything?
According to studies, most bird species have an underdeveloped sense of smell and rely more on their sight and hearing.
One theory is that picking up scents is challenging in the treetops where the wind flows through. Thus, birds find it more beneficial to see and hear conspecifics or enemies rather than smell them.
But some birds have an excellent sense of smell. One example is the New Zealand kiwi.
The kiwi cannot fly and is primarily active at night, needing senses similar to rodents. Its nostrils are located at the end of its long beak, which helps it sniff out worms and larvae in the soil.
The kiwi's sense of smell is supported by a well-developed olfactory epithelium, a layer of cells including sensory cells responsible for capturing odor molecules. These sensory cells send signals via the olfactory nerve to the forebrain, where scents are processed.
Other birds with a strong sense of smell include certain petrels and turkey vultures.
Turkey vultures have a highly developed sense of smell, often using it to find carrion. They can detect the scent of a dead chicken from as far as 1,600 meters in the rainforest.
Other vulture species, with poorer senses of smell but good eyesight, sometimes follow turkey vultures to share in the feast.
While many birds do not heavily rely on their sense of smell, species like the kiwi, certain petrels, and turkey vultures have adapted to use their olfactory capabilities effectively.
These adaptations are important for their survival and feeding strategies.
