ORTHO-AMINOACETOPHENONE REPELLENCY TO BIRDS - SIMILARITIES TO METHYL ANTHRANILATE

Methyl anthranilate is an effective bird repellent at concentrations greater-than-or-equal-to 1.0% (g/g). Ortho-aminoacetophenone (OAP) has an odor similar to that of methyl anthranilate and is chemically (structurally) similar. Coincidentally, OAP is present in the scent gland secretions of mustelid species that prey on birds. For these reasons, we chose to test the bird repellency of this material and 3 isomers to European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Ortho-aminoacetophenone was repellent at concentrations less-than-or-equal-to 0.01% in both choice and no-choice feeding tests. The other structural isomers (meta-, para-, alpha-) were less effective. Chemically, the results suggest that hydrogen-bonded ring structure formation and basicity predict bird repellent activity. We speculate that methyl anthranilate and OAP are avoided because of perceptual and/or chemical similarities.