Life Sciences Commons^™

Chemical Repellency In Birds: Relationship Between Chemical Structure And Avoidance Response, Larry Clark, Pankaj Shah, Russell Mason

Larry Clark

We examined how molecular structure of24 anthranilate and benzoic acid deriva­ tives correlated with drinking behavior in European starlings Sturnus vulgaris.The effectiveness of bird repellents was &?SOciated with basicity, the presence of an electron onating group in resonance with an electron-withdrawing carboxylic group on a phenyl ring, and a heterocyclic ring in the same pi cloud plane as the phenyl ring. Of the benzoic acid derivatives tested in this study, methyl, ethyl, dimethyl, and linalylanthranilate as well as anthranilic acid and 4-ketobenztriazine were repellent to birds. Water consumption was significantly reduced relative to control levels at concentrations as low as …