This article is part of a Special Issue “Chemosignals and Reproduction”. Chemical cues
were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living …

The chemical senses generally fall into three categories: chemesthesis (irritation and pain),
olfaction (smell), and gustation (taste). Traditionally, the emphasis in describing …

There is increasing evidence that birds use chemical cues in different contexts, and this is
changing the traditional view that birds are the only largely olfaction-free vertebrates. We …

Many species of birds incorporate feathers into their nest as structural support and to
insulate the eggs or offspring. Here, we investigated the novel idea that birds reduce the risk …

Small animals that winter at northern latitudes need to maximize energy intake and minimize
energy loss. Many passerine birds use night-time hypothermia to conserve energy. A …

Chemical communication is used by diverse organisms in a variety of contexts and can have
strong fitness consequences for the individuals involved. However, despite the extensive …

We explore for the first time the relative importance of chemical and visual cues of predators
in nest defense and antipredator behavior in a hole-nesting songbird, the blue tit Cyanistes …

Since most avian species have been considered anosmic or microsmatic, olfaction and
associated behavioural patterns have hardly been investigated. Most importantly, empirical …

Background The detection of predator chemical cues is an important antipredatory
behaviour as it allows an early assessment of predation risk without encountering the …

Indirect predator cues near nests have been shown to enhance perceived predation risk and
associated antipredator behaviours in breeding animals across taxa and particularly with …