Birds Get Divorced Too And The Reasons May Surprise You! 

Separation of couples through a social phenomenon called divorce is not a unique idea known only to human beings. Our avian friends too go through this bitter experience for similar reasons. It is believed that more than 90 percent of bird species remain committed to their partner for at least one breeding season. 

According to bird watchers, the ‘divorce’ here means that both members of a breeding pair survive to the following breeding season but end up pairing with new partners rather than reuniting. 

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, reveals that birds also endure divorce. A group of researchers from Germany and China analysed the available data on divorce rates for 232 bird species. They have also considered the mortality and migration distances in their research studies. 

Previous studies have looked at possible factors associated with avian ‘breakups’. The recent research found that two key factors – male promiscuity and long distance migrations — were responsible for divorce across a broad range of species. The team also assigned a separate ‘promiscuity  score’ to males and female birds of each species based on available information about the avian behaviour. 

“For instance, plovers, swallows, martins, orioles and blackbirds had both high divorce rates and male promiscuity, whereas petrels, albatrosses, geese and swans had low divorce rates and male promiscuity,” the researchers observed. 

Explaining the avian divorce concept, Dr. Zitan Song, a co-author of the study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, said a promiscuous male bird is less desirable as a partner as he is unable to give 100 percent attention towards the female partner. And, this trait may increase the likelihood of ‘divorce’. Conversely, a promiscuous male bird can increase his reproductive success by mating with multiple partners. 

The study also found that the divorce rates are higher among the species with longer migration distances. Dr Song said the longer migration may result in avian partners landing in different breeding sites which will lead to ‘divorce’ due to accidental separation. He added that birds which arrive early at the breeding site may mate with different partners without waiting for a previous partner. 

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