Unveiling Infidelity and Divorce Among Monogamous Bird Species

 In the animal kingdom, birds are renowned for their fidelity, but they are not immune to instances of infidelity, according to a collaborative research study by Chinese and German ornithologists. It's estimated that around 90% of bird species practice monogamy, signifying they mate with a single partner either for an entire breeding cycle or their entire lifespan. Nonetheless, the scientists behind the research have discovered instances of infidelity among these socially monogamous birds, which could result in what they term as a 'divorce.'

The ornithologists scrutinized 'divorce' rates across 232 species in relation to adult mortality and migration rates, identifying two primary triggers for a bird pair's separation: male promiscuity and long-distance migration. Intriguingly, female infidelity did not seem to trigger a split. This is attributed to the males' vested interest in their offspring's survival, as highlighted by Zitan Song, a co-author from the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The study also revealed the 'divorce' rates varied with species. For instance, plovers, swallows, orioles, and blackbirds had high 'divorce' and male promiscuity rates, while petrels, albatrosses, geese, and swans experienced lesser instances of both.

The researchers concluded that bird pair separations were not merely a simplistic adaptive strategy due to sexual selection or a result of one partner's death. Instead, they could be a reaction to sexual conflict and environmental stress.

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