Can noxious odours effectively protect clutches of ground-nesting birds?

Abstract

in search for an alternative to lethal methods of predator control, we tested the efficacy of two noxious odours, Hukinol and Hundeschreck, as predator repellents in field experiments with artificial and real nests. Hukinol produces a strong human scent, whereas Hundeschreck is a combination of minerals, plant extracts, and pelargonic acid. In two field experiments with artificial nests exposed in open landscapes of Western Lower Saxony, we found no evidence for a longer survival rate of nests treated with the odour repellents. The same result was obtained in a pilot study with real nests of Lapwing Vanellus vanellus. In the latter study half of the nests were treated with Hukinol, the others were used as controls. In summary, both chemicals show little promise in reducing predation-dependent nest failure in ground-nesting birds.