Birds May Pick Up Chemical Cues from Insect-Damaged Trees

New research out of Finland suggests, not surprisingly, that insectivorous birds are attracted to herbivorous insect-damaged trees. What is surprising is that the birds may be attracted to insect-infested trees not so much by the presence of the insects themselves, as they are by the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by the trees as a protection against insect herbivory.