‘Smelly’ mates guide seabirds

From the BBC: ‘Smelly’ mates guide seabirds.

Seabirds called prions, which mate for life, find their nests by sniffing out their smelly partners, scientists say.

The birds make their nests in deep burrows, which are very dark, so they cannot rely on any other sense to find them, Science magazine reports.

The birds also actively avoid their own smell, which could be a way of making sure they do not breed with their kin. [continue]

Posted on October 30, 2004 07:02 PM. Filed under: animals, insects, etc.