Abstract
During the past 2 decades, considerable progress has been made in the study of bird semiochemistry, and our goal was to review and evaluate this literature with particular emphasis on the volatile organic constituents. Indeed, since the importance of social chemosignaling in birds is becoming more and more apparent, the search for molecules involved in chemical communication is of critical interest. These molecules can be found in different sources that include uropygial gland secretions, feather-surface compounds, and molecules from feces and skin. Although many studies have examined the chemical substances secreted by birds, research on bird chemical communication is still at the start, so new strategies for collecting samples and development of new methods of analysis are urgently required. As a first step, we built a database that brings together potential semiochemicals, using a unique chemical nomenclature for comparing different bird species and also for referencing the different classes of substances that can be found in order to adapt future parameters of analysis. The most important patterns of the wax fraction of preen secretions are highlighted and organized in an ordered table. We also draw up a list of various combinations of sampling and analytical techniques, so that each method can be compared at a glance.