Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) expressing neurons in the parabrachial nucleus have been shown to encode danger. Through projections to the amygdala and other forebrain structures, they regulate food intake and trigger adaptive behaviors in response to threats like inflammation, intoxication, tumors and pain. Despite the fact that this danger-encoding neuronal population has been defined based on its CGRP expression, it is not clear if CGRP is critical for its function. To examine the role of CGRP in danger-related motivational responses, we used male and female mice lacking αCGRP, which is the main form of CGRP in the brain. These mice had no, or only very weak, CGRP expression in the parabrachial nucleus and its projections to the amygdala. Despite this, they displayed normal danger-related responses such as inflammation-induced anorexia and conditioned taste aversion. Further, mice lacking αCGRP showed normal nociceptive responses, intact aversion to thermal pain and close to normal pain-induced escape behavior. Collectively, our findings suggest that αCGRP is not necessary for short term danger-encoding and threat-related responses but that the parabrachial CGRP expressing neurons use other transmitters for these functions.