Songbirds like it sweet!

(The University of Hong Kong) Whether birds can taste sweet was previously unclear. An international team of researchers has now shown that songbirds, a group containing over 4,000 species, can sense sweetness regardless of their primary diets. The study highlights a specific event in the songbird ancestors that allowed their umami (savoury) taste receptor to recognise sugar. This ability has been conserved in the songbird lineage, influencing the diet of nearly half of all birds living today.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news