Outdoor Ontario

Discussion => Behaviour => Topic started by: Raven11:11 on October 30, 2010, 04:26:29 PM

Title: Can birds smell? (Blue Jay and peanut butter)
Post by: Raven11:11 on October 30, 2010, 04:26:29 PM

HAPPY AND OVERDOSE-SUCROSE ~ HALLOWEEN TO ALL MEMBERS AND FELLOW BIRD LOVERS FROM OUR FAMILY AND FELLOW BACKYARD CRITTERS!!

We have 3 b-jays that i believe are parents + 1 baby that frequent our feeder and I have noticed when i put out a few peanuts on shell - the jay appeared 2min's afterwards.  

Then, today, I put out a piece of 12 grain bread slice with a thin layer or peanut butter on our fence and the male appears a few moments afterwards, eats a bit and leaves.  I know j's are crazy over peanuts but he left it.  the juncos and other regulars - house sparrows, etc..devoured the toast and luckily the water tower had fresh water so all had a good wash drink after the creamy p-butter.  They thoroughly enjoyed it.

Can birds smell?  How well?

Peanut butter? From how far? I know the wind will carry these scents for miles... i too have seen the movie Commando with Arnold Swarzngr and that part where he smells the soldiers from a downwind ..... I too have done this.  I can smell a piece of chocolate from my basement if it is eaten or taken out of package 3 levels & 35+ feet away in our home... not to mention outdoor examples. They are unbelie

just a deep thought enjoying  a cool Rum + coke, some fish & chip baking in oven as we speak..... 4:24pm SAt....

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Post by: WBU on October 30, 2010, 07:38:28 PM

No, in general birds have a very poor sense of smell. The exception would be vultures, they use their sense of smell to find food. In your case the blue jay finds its food by sight versus smell.

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Post by: Raven11:11 on October 30, 2010, 09:17:36 PM

This is what I recall read  .. so the blue jays must be near and watcching nearby and its all about timing then.

Title: Re: Can birds smell? (Blue Jay and peanut butter)
Post by: Bird Brain on October 30, 2010, 09:21:46 PM

Quote from: "Raven11:11"

I can smell a piece of chocolate from my basement if it is eaten or taken out of package 3 levels & 35+ feet away in our home...

Were we separated at birth?   :lol:

Happy Devil's Night/Hell Night!   :twisted:   Happy Halloween for tomorrow.

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Post by: Raven11:11 on April 17, 2011, 01:36:52 AM

well if birds cant smell then it is truly a mystery that a female cardinal located a peanut 1 foot from our back yard sliding glass door , it is left for a tame grey squirrel that used to sit in my lap when she was young ... snd with the over abundance of food she is extremely *** skinny for this time fo year. she has cookies, nuts, bread, flax, etc... and still no extra fat on her. And also seems like her eye sight is not the best... she will smell around he yard and i observe its as if she does not see the peanuts well until VERY VERY close or even passes them too.

A female cardinal and her mr. set up shop near our yard too every year now for 15+ yrs and while the male was feeding from the hanging feeder she was keeping an eye out for predators from our plum tree - some 25 feet from out back door - where I had left a peanut in shell and she saw it within 3 seconds of landing in tree.

she did not see my place it there* No angles of sight. due to fense**

How??  :o  :o  :o  :o  :o  :o

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Post by: Lloyd on April 17, 2011, 10:52:52 AM

I found this link which might prove helpful:   http://stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds ... Sense.html (http://stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Avian_Sense.html)

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Post by: Raven11:11 on April 17, 2011, 03:25:35 PM

Thanks Loyd, great link.


But this event ~ you needed to have seen this one to understand , truly, my confusion .... it was ass if she saw it from 20 feet away. No exaggeration.