When winter bites, you might think birds would be most preoccupied with finding food.But for some, love conquers all.
Great tits in the Oxfordshire woods went hungry in order to stay close to their mate, a study found.
And it was not just the females who were lovey-dovey. Males also stuck by their other half instead of flying off to search for food. This, say the Oxford University scientists, shows just how important relationships are – even to wild birds.
Zoologist Josh Firth studied 17 pairs of birds which had been tagged with anklets emitting a signal that unlocked feeders packed with sunflower seeds.
In some cases, the signals were set so that both mates could access the same feeder.In others there was a mismatch, with the male barred from the female’s food supply and vice versa.
Mates prevented from using each other’s feeders largely stayed close together anyway. However, they didn’t waste away, as some managed to swoop in and grab seeds after their partner finished eating, the journal Current Biology said.
One consequence of the birds’ loyalty was that – much like a humans in romantic relationships – they had little option but to spend time with their other half’s friends.
Dr Firth said: ‘Because those birds choose to stay with their partners, they also ended up associating with their partner’s flock-mates.’
The team only studied great tits, but with most wild birds pairing up for at least one breeding season, Dr Firth believes many other species would behave similarly. – Daily Mail