Amazon Breath?

[forbey]

I've heard this referrence to before, but couldn't find it in a search.

I'm fascinated by Skittles fruity odor. Is it "good breath", hormonal? Is it just zons?

Either way, the closer we get during playtime, the more noticeable it is. I also noticed it the other night when I got up to check the house and got close to where he was sleeping.

What is the science behind the odor and does it have a purpose?

Who else is addicted to the smell? :54:

Forbey

 

[SandyBee]

Awww yes, that smell. Yes we are addicted.

It's not always there either and emits from the nares, there must be a purpose but us humans haven't quite figured it out yet.
Some say hormonal, some say excitement but the truth is nobody is sure yet.
Many birds do emit smells from their breath or their feathers, but what I think your talking about seems unique to zons!!!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh my gosh, my favorite scent in the whole wide world is excited and happy Amazon smell. I just bury my nose into my Zons when they emit their scent...can't get enough of it. I love it!

And I know I'm not alone with this affliction. :54:

 

[forbey]

Oh my gosh, my favorite scent in the whole wide world is excited and happy Amazon smell. I just bury my nose into my Zons when they emit their scent...can't get enough of it. I love it!

And I know I'm not alone with this affliction. :54:

I wonder, is it something they emit intentionally? It does appear to be strongest when they are involved in close social contact. But, if you can't smell it when you aren't next to them, does it mean they aren't releasing it?
(The ame as "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make any sound?)

Forbey

 

[JerseyWendy]

Yes, they do emit it intentionally, no doubt in my mind. And I don't know with certainty what sets them off to open up their perfume gland, but I do believe it's related to interaction, either with their person or with another bird.

I learnt that when I'm playing music and start "partying", BOTH my Amazons scent up the room and get excited, eager to party with me. And my male does it more frequently than my female.

 

[Tonia]

I'm confused. Anneliese has a "smell" about her nares but it's not fruity...and not particularly pleasant....although not UNpleasant either. Are we talking about the same thing here?

~~Tonia

 

[SandyBee]

Yes I think so, it can be musky or flowery as well.

 

[Tonia]

"musky" fits.

 

[wjgonzalez]

It smells like a pheromone. To me it smells like androstonone. It smells pleasant to me. pheromone - definition of pheromone by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. Androstenone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What is unique about androstenone is, to some people it smells pleasant and "flowery, but ot others it stinks, depending on their genotype.

 

[torrap]

I'm confused. Anneliese has a "smell" about her nares but it's not fruity...and not particularly pleasant....although not UNpleasant either. Are we talking about the same thing here?

~~Tonia

Yep, I've read that all Amazons have this aroma coming out of their nares. Also that it is very cpecific for Zons.
I didn't notice it changing, it's always the same. Maybe I should check again.
The smell reminds me of the smell of the newborn human baby.....
I also wonder if we are talking about the same thing....

 

[forbey]

This reminds me of John Trevolta in "Michael". In the movie he plays an Archangel, to all the women he smells like something they loved from their past and everyone smelled something different. (Chocolate cookies, apple pie, etc.)

When I get close enough to Skittles to detect the scent, I want to lean in and inhale deeply! :52:

Forbey

 

[Pajarita]

LOL - I call that 'dirty parrot smell' but yes, it is present in several species. Now, whether it is pheromones or not is not really known. Until very recently (and I am talking just a couple of years ago), all birds were thought to be anosmic (no sense of smell) or microsmatic (weak sense of smell) and not to produce pheromones but recent studies have shown that we need to study their olfactory capacity better (I know, not a whole lot of help, is it? but that's the way science works, little by little) and that there are species that do produce sexual hormones (ducks, petrels, quails and even a species of starling) so it is possible that parrots have some sort of something going on there although it will never be as important as visual (plumage) or auditory (vocalization) for sexual attraction. The problem with this and zons is that all the bird species that have been found to secrete pheromones do it through their uropygial gland and amazons don't have them.

 

[cockatielgirl]

amazon air fresheners!!!!