[Karen W. (OP)]

I have just taken on a pet parakeet for some company... and companionship.. I have been tres lonesome.. and do love his little chirp..

Someone originally purchased Tweety then he fled or escaped and he got outside where he nearly died from not being able to take care of himself.. He eventually was injured.. My sister and I saw him outside for two months and saw his health decline.. assumed someone lost him and so my brother in law finally was able to catch him due to the birds deteriorating health and they have had him for two years now... My sister has given Tweety to me and I am enjoying his company... he is a Lovely, Mellowly, Sweet, Lemon Yellow Parakeet.. aptly named Tweety-Bird!

I was cleaning his cage last night when I had this thought about his sense of smell? What do you think? Does anyone know anything about that?

[neilep]

awww..that's so sweet !!..can ewe post a piccy kareny mam ?

I certainly have no idea about their sense of smell !....I hope a passing parakeet-olfactory-senses expert flys by and poops an answer for ewe !

...in the mean time ...enjoy Tweety !!!

[Karen W. (OP)]

He is a very sweet bird..and I will enjoy his or her company...Thanks. He or She....Oooh... good question! Is it beak color that will tell me male or female? Dark for male Light for female or what?

Thanks loads Neily and I will take a picture later today! Such a lovely yellow!

[neilep]

Next time he does a wee-wee observe. If he pisses up the wall as far as he can then he's a bloke bird....if she squats and pisses in a bowl then she's a girly bird !

Glad I could help !  []

[Karen W. (OP)]

Thanks loads...and if I follow that advice I would be deemed a loony bird instead eh??? lol...lol...Too late... I am already a loony!

[Karen W. (OP)]

Well I am still wondering if there is anyone out there that can tell me about a parakeets sense of smell.

1. I CAN SEE THEIR LITTLE NOSE HOLES IN THE BEAK.
2. I ASSUME THEY CAN SMELL.
3. I DO NOT KNOW TO WHAT DEGREE/ HIGHLY SENSITIVE OR VAGUELY/
I UNDERSTAND THAT CERTAIN FUMES ,COOKING IN TEFLON CAN BE FATAL TO A BIRD.. AND THAT BIRDS WERE USED TO DETECT GASES ETC  SO THEY INHALE UNLIKE BILL CLINTON...!!! lol...
SO WHATS THE SCOOP, DISTANCE, RANGE ETC..?

[RD]

Avian Olfaction

.. AND THAT BIRDS WERE USED TO DETECT GASES

The "canary in the coalmine" would fall off it's perch because of the lack of oxygen (e.g. suffocation by methane or carbon dioxide), or the presence of poisonous carbon monoxide, so nothing to do with a sense of smell.   

[Don_1]

There seems to be a difference of opinion on the Parakeet's sense of smell. It would be true to say that in common with most other birds, the Parakeet relies mainly on vision. Most birds have a poor sense of smell, but it is claimed by some that the Parakeet is (along with the Vultures and other scavengers) an exception to the rule and may even use odour to attract a mate.

Personally, I can't see this to be the case, unless they were to use their sense of smell to identify the readiness of fruit for eating.

What species of Parakeet is it, Karen?

Over here we have an Emerald Collard Parakeet which has become naturalised. Some wonder how a tropical bird can survive in our climate, but the fact is, these Parakeets range from the African Savannah's to the Himalayas, so they are well used to climates much hotter and much colder than the British Isles.

[SeanB]

I do know that most parrots love chilli peppers, and will happily eat the seeds and the pepper. Than they come over to you and kiss, and your mouth burns.......

Then again the wild ones outside love the Jacaranda flowers and all the other seeds and nuts.

[graham.d]

Deep mining for coal has mostly (if not completely) gone in the UK now, but one or two mines are kept as tourist attractions. I visited a coal mine (the Big Pit) in South Wales a while back and an ex-miner gave a talk about the canary (called monoxide) they used to detect dangerous gases. He said that he used to tell people (as a joke) that they taught the canary to talk so that it could tell them what the gas was. A lady on the tour completely believed him and was very impressed. He was so embarrassed to then have to tell her that such detection would have been the canary dying that he decided to revise how he told the story.

Anyway, the serious point is that birds that were used to detect gases did so by being killed by them and this has nothing to do with their olifactory senses.

[Bored chemist]

"Anyway, the serious point is that birds that were used to detect gases did so by being killed by them and this has nothing to do with their olifactory senses."
No they did not.
The birds detected the gas by falling unconscious (and falling off the perch).
But the cages had a drop down cover and an air cylinder so they could be treated with fresh air and recover.

The birds were safer than the miners.
http://menmedia.co.uk/middletonguardian/news/s/408690_device_that_saved_lives_is_for_the_birds

[graham.d]

That's amazing BC, and surprising that there was such concern over animal welfare. I am only reporting what this ex-miner told me. The example you gave was for a gas works rather than for use in mines but a quick scan on Google suggest they were used, at least in some US mines. In any case canaries were made redundant and replaced with electronic gas detectors; this was in the 1980s I think. It may be the case that there still was a canary-system as a back up though. Canaries were introduced around the beginning of the 20th century; they certainly did not bother to save the canary then.

[Bored chemist]

I wonder if it was animal welfare as such or the idea that "This bird just saved my life so I will save its life in return". I think it was personal, but I'm just guessing.