Cockatiels have essentially the most pronounced and sometimes celebrated parrot scents. A mixture of child powder and child pores and skin. Some say popcorn and linen.Photograph byAdobe Categorical Professional
“If we may bottle that and name it Parfum de Perroquet, we’d make a fortune!”
Physician and I stood in his Raleigh Durham, NC workplace, petting a rescue rooster named Butterscotch. I used to be on the town to provide a presentation on the native parrot membership occasion. He was engaged on serving to me undertake the rooster to take dwelling to Florida which I hadn’t deliberate on doing however appeared like an incredible alternative. The conclusion that chickens don’t scent like parrots impressed me. And that parrots scent so good.
“It could break the bank to do …” after which the physician went off on a science truth crammed tangent that I rejected on precept alone. We have been on an inventive bent of dialog, relishing the ideas of bottled macaw, or spritzer amazon. The prices have been going to be a fortune as a result of first it’s a must to dial in on the scent itself.
What’s the essence of, say, Chanel No. 9? Patchouli, Tonka bean, and vanilla absolute. What’s the essence of, say, a cockatiel? Child powder and linens to my nostril. In accordance to some thousand cockatiel lovers on r/cockatiels on reddit, it’s books, waffles and syrup, powder, cucumbers, biscuits, and toast. And that’s the place making parrot fragrance will get difficult. Each parrot smells completely different to each particular person.
There’s science to assist the concept that parrots, notably the dander producing parrots, have a scent. There’s additionally perception {that a} good smelling parrot would not scent of something however is solely a wholesome parrot being conscious to care and preen its feathers religiously. I reject that final easy thought on precept and empirical proof gathered over a decade of working with companion parrots. I’m compelled to rebuttal. “Ugh-uh! Sure, they do too scent good!”
An amazon parrot accessing her preen gland and pulling the waxy aspect up and thru her tail feathers.Photograph byAdobe Categorical Professional
Our seven parrots have their private and distinct heavenly scents. Eu de toilette. To not be confused with eu de parfum. Parrot scents are a touch, mild, a promise within the air. You’ll want to stay your nostril into their floofs (not a science phrase) to get a heady excessive. Ask anybody that lives the parrot life-style. We’re all parrot sniffers. Our flock smells like sunshine, handmade cleaning soap, popcorn, and linens. The r/parrots group added fruit, hay, and muffins.
Parrots scent good for a couple of good causes.
- Their uropygial gland, or preen gland. Situated on the base of their again simply earlier than their tail feathers. This gland produces a waxy substance they choose up by rubbing their face over the wick (pulvinus) feathers, then spreading the fatty acids and alcohols combine over and thru their feathers whereas preening. Consequently, they could have a powdery or barely waxy really feel and a nice scent. Some folks describe the scent of cockatiels as smelling like powder.
- Weight loss plan. What a parrot eats impacts their pores and skin, feathers, and general well being. Which impacts the well being and contents of their preening gland and pulvinus.
- Well being. A wholesome parrot preens with excessive prejudice. Care and concern may go on for a couple of hours. Feather care results in skincare, which results in a wholesome preen gland and pulvinus, in a position to provide its fatty acids and alcohols with ease and success.
- Hormones. Hormones have an effect on how a lot a parrot eats, and what your fowl will eat whereas feeling the surge of hormones. This impacts their feathers and well being, which impacts their drive to preen and take care of themselves. Some parrots exhibit a powerful odor in the course of the mating season or excessive hormone seasons. Each parrot is completely different.
- Setting performs a big half within the dialog of parrot smells each good and dangerous. A companion parrot saved in a closed dwelling with cooking odors, people who smoke, or vaping might scent. Air high quality has a direct impact on a parrot’s well being. Which impacts their preening gland well being. Which impacts how their pores and skin, feathers, and floofs scent.
- Genetics. Some parrot species might have a naturally nice scent due to genetic elements.
Taken in a holistic view, a parrot’s scent will be subjective and will range relying on particular person notion as effectively. Different exterior elements may also affect the scent of a parrot as dealing with and publicity to different animals or scents. And each parrot lives a special life-style. Which is why you’ll learn, hear, or attest that your fowl smells like caramel corn whereas your buddy’s similar species of parrot smells like laundry detergent. Our parrot’s scents are a summation of our parrot’s life-style.
An African grey parrot preening. Not Felix, our African grey. Felix hates paparazzi.Photograph byAdobe Categorical Professional
The thrilling information for all my fellow parrot sniffers on this planet of companion parrots, there’s a actual parrot eu de parfum out there. Cockatiel. Which proves that the thought physician and I hatched whereas petting a rooster was genius. I didn’t carry Butterscotch, the North Carolina rooster, dwelling to stay with us in Florida. One other missed alternative.
Till my pattern Cockatiel eu de parfum arrives, I’ll proceed to get pleasure from Butters’ sunshine macaw scent, our cockatiels’ child powder scent, and Felix’s angsty scent. Being an African grey parrot, Felix is eu de curmudgeon. A cross between beef jerky and clams.