Olfaction in birds

Olfaction in birds is the detection and processing of airborne chemical cues. Its sensitivity and ecological importance vary greatly among species.

Olfactory epithelium: A sensory tissue lining parts of the nasal cavity, containing neurons that detect odor molecules. Its receptor neurons begin the detection of airborne chemicals in birds.
Procellariiformes: An order of seabirds that includes albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters. Many locate prey and productive ocean patches using airborne odor cues.
Olfaction: The sensory system that detects and distinguishes chemical substances through smell. Avian olfaction is one branch of this broadly shared sensory system.
Vision in birds: The visual sensory system of birds, often characterized by high acuity and diverse color perception. Vision dominates many bird behaviors, but does not make olfaction irrelevant.
Olfactory receptor: A protein in sensory neurons that binds odor molecules and initiates signaling. Different receptor proteins let birds detect different chemical features.
Turkey vulture: A large New World vulture that feeds primarily on carrion. It can locate concealed carcasses by detecting volatile compounds such as ethanethiol.
Avian brain: The nervous system within a bird's skull, including sensory, motor, and cognitive regions. Differences in olfactory brain regions help explain variation among birds.
Hearing in birds: The detection and processing of sound by birds. Sound and smell offer different kinds of information for communication and orientation.
Olfactory bulb: A forebrain structure that receives and processes signals from olfactory sensory neurons. Its size and organization vary across bird species alongside olfactory capacity.
Homing pigeon: A domestic pigeon bred for its ability to return to a home loft from unfamiliar locations. Experiments implicate environmental odors in its navigation and homing.

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