The cases where animals give us lessons are not few.
Once again, the animal kingdom impresses us, proving once more that birds are capable of true love. You have probably heard before about swans and the like, but this is not the first time cases of greater devotion have been studied by researchers. However, we never cease to be amazed by the capabilities of these wonderful creatures.
It appears that great tits have a particularly self-destructive habit. As researchers from Oxford University have discovered, these birds stick with their mates and do not fly away from their side. Not even for the most basic needs, which leads many of them to starve to death. The research was conducted around 17 pairs of birds from the Oxfordshire forests.
Led by Josh Firth, the researchers monitored the tits through signals made by electronic anklets. These signals were also used by the birds to unlock the feeders. During the three months of observation they noticed cases when the birds went in pairs to feed. The situations happened when the feeder was opened by one bird, but closed afterwards by their partner. As only one bird could get inside the feeder, the other waited for them. Even though some would expect the females to be more attached to their partners, this was not the case, as the male tits showed the same behaviour. The conclusion of the study was that great tits preferred sticking together rather than going to get food from somewhere else.
Such types of behaviour have been observed in other species as well. Female baboons for instance create an environment for their children in order to ensure their survival. This can be a case of ultimate sacrifice, but the lesson to be learned is that in this way, the birds are building a very strong and durable bond, as well as ensuring the passing of their genes. All animal species are governed by their survival instinct, but in this case the entire survival of the entire flock is important. Maybe the fact that birds are capable of true love is an overstatement, but there will probably never be studies showing what goes on exactly in their heads.
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