Songbirds have a Sweet Tooth
A Red-bellied Woodpecker, Baltimore Oriole, Blue Jay and a hidden Northern Cardinal (under the jay), squabble over a sugar-packed, jelly-filled orange feeder. Photo by Pam Garcia/PFW.
Anyone who’s seen an oriole lapping up grape jelly knows that some birds have a sweet tooth. But the dinosaur ancestors of modern birds lost the sweet receptors in their taste buds millions of years ago. So why do some birds seek a sugar fix?
Research published in the journal Science in July 2021 shows that evolution retooled the umami receptors of songbirds to taste sweet stuff. The study builds on prior research that showed hummingbirds also have sweet taste sensory perception. Read More>>>
