TOULOUSE, France, July 7 (UPI) -- Male and female gulls smell different from each other, and the birds may use body odor to single out genetically compatible mates, French researchers say.
The study published in the journal Naturwissenschaften -- The Science of Nature, looked at how the gulls, known as kittiwakes, protect their feathers by preening them with the secretions of the preen gland, secretions that also carry odors.