Abstract
It has long been recognised that nest depredation by
olfactory-searching mammals greatly influences the
reproductive success of ground-nesting birds. Yet
adaptations of birds to diminish smell during nesting have
rarely been investigated. Recently, a remarkable shift in
the composition of uropygial gland secretions (preen
waxes) was discovered in many ground-nesting shorebirds
and ducks that begin incubation, during
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