Partnership and divorce are two concepts we usually associate with human beings. But now divorces or breakups are being associated with birds as well. The reason behind this is also something that humans go through: affairs and long-distance relationships. This is not just a guess or a shot in the dark. There is science to back it all up. First, it is crucial to figure out the behaviour of these avian creatures. The Guardian reported that more than 90 per cent of bird species are thought to have a single mate over at least one breeding season. Some of these monogamous creatures do switch to a different mate in another breeding season. This happens despite their original mate being alive. This is the behaviour that is called “divorce”.
A research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has given two crucial reasons why this might happen. The researchers from China and Germany analysed data from 232 bird species. They took into consideration divorce rates, mortality rates, migration distances, and promiscuity scores for males and females.
It was found that there was a pattern of male promiscuity related to higher divorce rates. Which species exhibit this the most? Well, the research has an answer. Plovers, swallows, martins, orioles, and blackbirds exhibited both high divorce rates and male promiscuity. There are also findings of who has lower divorce rates and male promiscuity. These species include petrels, albatrosses, geese, and swans.
The researchers were also able to identify the reason why male promiscuity is a major factor in the rise in divorce rates. Their “affairs” not only divided their attention but also divided resources between several females. This made the males less attractive as partners. At the same time, female promiscuity would not have the same consequences. That is because uncertainty about the child’s paternity leads to the male being more involved in parental care.
Research also found that species that had to migrate longer distances has higher divorce rates. “After migrating, pairs may arrive at their destination asynchronously, leading to a situation where the early arrival might mate with a different partner, resulting in a ‘divorce’. Migration could also lead to pairs landing in different breeding sites, thereby causing ‘divorce’ due to accidental loss. This effect intensifies with increasing migration distance,” said Dr Zitan Song, as reported in The Guardian.
Dr Samantha Patrick, a marine biology expert from the University of Liverpool was not involved in the study. However, she expressed her keen interest in the research, particularly the connection between migration asynchrony and divorce rates. It was her suggestion that climate change can lead to increased unpredictability in migration timings. This can also lead to an increase in divorces across species.
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