Meeting Abstract
Many birds are able to use their sense of smell is to locate their nest. Although King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) do not build a nest, islands and colonies may also contribute to the olfactory landscape and may act as an orienting map for these birds. To test sensitivities to a colony or personal scent we studied whether King penguins could detect the smell of sand (acting as a control), feathers or feces, by holding presentations beneath their beaks while they naturally slept on the beach. The response of penguins was greatest to the feathers and feces. We also noted that penguins tended to arrive downwind of the colony, particularly in the morning, and then walk towards the colony in an upwind fashion. Although our work here is only a first step in exploring a broader role of olfaction in this species, our results raise the possibility of olfaction being used by King penguins in three potential ways: 1) locating the colony from long distances (ie. out in the water or from downwind on the shore), 2) finding an area within the colony where a chick or partner may be found, or 3) recognizing individuals by scent, as in Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). Future work will clarify how sensitivity to feathers and feces is adaptive in this species.
