Have birds or other animals that mate for life ever separate? #AnimalBehavior #MatingHabits
What happens when creatures known for lifelong partnerships decide to split ways? Learn all about this fascinating phenomenon right here. #CuriousNature
The Concept of ‘Mate for Life’
Exploring Lifelong Bonds
– Are there species that truly mate for life?
– How do animals choose their partners?
Breaking the Bond
– Can lifelong mates ever separate?
– What are the reasons for ending a lifelong partnership in the animal kingdom?
Uncover the secrets of lasting love in the wild and discover whether ’till death do us part’ applies to our animal friends as well. #NatureFacts
Yes and quite regularly so.
In some pair bonding animals, like storks for example, the pair is hold onto as long as the pair has offspring. If they don’t have offspring in one year, they break up and search for new partners in the following year.
Zebra finches on the other hand can break up before having offspring during “house hunting”. The male seeks out different nesting sites, they look at them together and if the female doesn’t like them, she leaves.
[This article](https://www.the-scientist.com/animal-divorce-when-and-why-pairs-break-up-70035) features a few more examples.
Yes this happens a lot in birds, where it is called “divorce”. For example, whooper swans are more likely to leave their partner if they do not produce chicks in a season. If you type in “divorce in birds” in Google Scholar you will find loads of research articles. It’s a very active area of research.