Nature & Environment
Birds Fall In Love, Just Like Humans
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Sep 15, 2015 10:44 PM EDT
The Carpenters had it right. In other words, birds may have something to do with love (they "suddenly appear..." as the song goes.) Or is it that they simply fall in love--just like humans--as well.
New findings published in the journal PLOS Biology show that, indeed, they do.
Birds like to cozy up to their partner just like humans-not basing a partner purely on aesthetics but also on performance standards and compatibility, alike.
In fact, researchers discovered that zebra finches in particularl chose mates based on reasons invisible to the outside observer. The study authors believe their speed-dating experiment might even make this sort of pairing off, or shall we say "falling in love," a happier experience for the birds and even put them in a more successful position to reproduce.
During the study, birds were allowed to freely chose their mate while others were forced into cohabitation. Researchers found that freely chosen mates copulated more frequently and produced more eggs with higher survival rates.
And though non-chosen males paid about the same amount off attention to their mates, non-chosen females were less receptive to their advances, and tended to copulate less often. Furthermore, the non-chosen couples were generally less involved than the chosen ones.
Probably time for a peck on the beak now, wouldn't you say?
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First Posted: Sep 15, 2015 10:44 PM EDT
The Carpenters had it right. In other words, birds may have something to do with love (they "suddenly appear..." as the song goes.) Or is it that they simply fall in love--just like humans--as well.
New findings published in the journal PLOS Biology show that, indeed, they do.
Birds like to cozy up to their partner just like humans-not basing a partner purely on aesthetics but also on performance standards and compatibility, alike.
In fact, researchers discovered that zebra finches in particularl chose mates based on reasons invisible to the outside observer. The study authors believe their speed-dating experiment might even make this sort of pairing off, or shall we say "falling in love," a happier experience for the birds and even put them in a more successful position to reproduce.
During the study, birds were allowed to freely chose their mate while others were forced into cohabitation. Researchers found that freely chosen mates copulated more frequently and produced more eggs with higher survival rates.
And though non-chosen males paid about the same amount off attention to their mates, non-chosen females were less receptive to their advances, and tended to copulate less often. Furthermore, the non-chosen couples were generally less involved than the chosen ones.
Probably time for a peck on the beak now, wouldn't you say?
Related Articles
Weight Loss Surgery May Help Bring The Romance Back In Some Relationships
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone