# Can Pigeons Taste?



## thisistheremix (Jul 2, 2002)

I don't know much about birds, and I was wondering if pigeons can taste.

Papa LOVES black oil sunflower seeds, and will eat them with enthusiasm. Others seeds he will eat, but not with as much excitement. He seems to be showing a taste preference.


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## fred2344 (Jan 9, 2002)

They absolutely can taste although they do not have as many taste buds as humans. One of the drawbacks of not having as many tastebuds is if they drink salty liquids or salty foods. In the winter, when streets are salted to melt snow, the water remaining is salty and they cannot taste it below a certain level so salt poisoning is a possibility for them.


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

DID SOMEONE SAY BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS!?!?!?!?!?!?!









Tooty LOVES them...He goes nuts over them but he can't eat them whole so I have to open them for him and he stands there in front of me licking the seed while I open it!!









I have read somewhere that pigeons have 37 tastebuds and we humans have 9000!!

Mary


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## Psion (Mar 1, 2002)

Oh yeah, pigeons can taste. Thats why they only like certain things.

Nick


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I think birds taste extremes - sweet, bitter, sour - basic stuff like that. But pigeons will judge potential food by its feel, when they pick it up. I give the pigeons at the wildfowl reserve peanuts (they run to me for those), but some of the dropped racers I've met there pick 'em up, 'weigh' them, and discard them - evidently not come across them before. I wonder if, to some degree, they smell certain foods more than thers? Many pigeons go nuts for anything smelling of aniseed, for example, like aniseed-scented grit. Maybe sunflower seed has an odor detectable to pigeons?

John


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## Danielle Chase (Jun 26, 2002)

Yes, I believe they can taste - and/or have tastebuds like humans and other animals. There are certain types of things that our pigeon Eggbert, will absolutely NOT eat - but has sampled it before. He just found out he didn't like the taste and that was the end of them. As an example, he loves potato chips, tortilla chips, popcorn (especially the "old maids"), crackers, sunflower seeds, etc. BUT . . . if the chips, popcorn or crackers are "flavored" - onion 'n garlic, barbeque, spicey taco, etc. he won't have anything to do with them. This tells me that he can taste different things and knows precisely what he likes and what he doesn't like. Danielle.


> Originally posted by thisistheremix:
> *I don't know much about birds, and I was wondering if pigeons can taste.
> 
> Papa LOVES black oil sunflower seeds, and will eat them with enthusiasm. Others seeds he will eat, but not with as much excitement. He seems to be showing a taste preference. *


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