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An individual and a sex odor signature in kittiwakes? Study of the semiochemical composition of preen secretion and preen down feathers

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Abstract

The importance of olfaction in birds’ social behavior has long been denied. Avian chemical signaling has thus been relatively unexplored. The black-legged kittiwake provides a particularly appropriate model for investigating this topic. Kittiwakes preferentially mate with genetically dissimilar individuals, but the cues used to assess genetic characteristics remain unknown. As in other vertebrates, their body odors may carry individual and sexual signatures thus potentially reliably signaling individual genetic makeup. Here, we test whether body odors in preen gland secretion and preen down feathers in kittiwakes may provide a sex and an individual signature. Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we found that male and female odors differ quantitatively, suggesting that scent may be one of the multiple cues used by birds to discriminate between sexes. We further detected an individual signature in the volatile and nonvolatile fractions of preen secretion and preen down feathers. These results suggest that kittiwake body odor may function as a signal associated with mate recognition. It further suggests that preen odor might broadcast the genetic makeup of individuals, and could be used in mate choice to assess the genetic compatibility of potential mates.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to V. Bourret, M. Berlincourt, E. Moëc, B. Planade, and C. Bello Marín for their help in the field. We thank Felipe Ramon Portugal (EDB/ENFA—Toulouse) for his help in the first step of chemical analysis and Bruno Buatois (CEFE—Montpellier) for his help in the last step. This work was supported by the French Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV Program 1162 SexCoMonArc). Experiments were carried out in accordance with US laws and under permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and State of Alaska. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement of the US Government.

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  1. Sarah Leclaire

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique), 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, France

    Sarah Leclaire, Thomas Merkling & Étienne Danchin

  2. Université de Toulouse; UMR5174 EDB, F-31062, Toulouse, France

    Sarah Leclaire, Thomas Merkling & Étienne Danchin

  3. INRA, LCA (Laboratoire de Chimie Agro-industrielle), F-31029, Toulouse, France

    Christine Raynaud & Géraldine Giacinti

  4. Université de Toulouse, INPT, LCA, ENSIACET, 4 allée Emile Monso, F-31029, Toulouse, France

    Christine Raynaud & Géraldine Giacinti

  5. Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, 8 rue de l’Ecole Normale, 34296, Montpellier, France

    Jean-Marie Bessière

  6. U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA

    Scott A. Hatch

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  1. Sarah Leclaire
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  2. Thomas Merkling
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  4. Géraldine Giacinti
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  5. Jean-Marie Bessière
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  6. Scott A. Hatch
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  7. Étienne Danchin
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Correspondence to Sarah Leclaire.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Leclaire, S., Merkling, T., Raynaud, C. et al. An individual and a sex odor signature in kittiwakes? Study of the semiochemical composition of preen secretion and preen down feathers. Naturwissenschaften 98, 615–624 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0809-9

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