Can birds be gay

Why It's OK for Birds to Be Gay

In greylag geese, nearly a fifth of all long-term couples are collected of two males. They're not alone: More than 130 feathered species are established to engage in homosexual behavior at least occasionally, a proof that has uncertain scientists.

After all, in evolutionary terms homosexual mating seems to reduce the birds' chances of reproductive success. But that's not necessarily so, according to a new study. In a given species, the sex with lighter parental duties tends to mate more, period — whether with the same or the opposite sex.

Birds occupy in all kinds of same-sex hanky panky, from elaborate courtship displays to mounting and genital contact to setting up house together. In some species the same-sex pairs even raise new (conceived with outside partners, obviously) and stay together for several years.

Bird Fun Facts

To celebrate, I’ve prepared some fun facts about queer birds! (You can read a previoos post on gay flamingoes on my blog, too.)

But today, let’s read about… the Laysan Albatross!

These amazing birds are recognizable for their long-lived monogamous relationships (and even longer lives!), where they mate with the equal partner once a year for their entire lives. In truth, one particular bird, named Wisdom the Albatross, is over 70-years-old.

What’s even cooler?

In 2021, at 70 years of age, Wisdom the Laysan Albatross did something no-one has ever recorded before: she hatched a chick!

Regarded as “oldest known wild bird in history”, Wisdom has outlived several of her ex-husbands (aka her previous mating partners) as well as the very human who first banded her and began studying her life - the biologist Chandler Robbins, who first banded her in 1956, 66 whole years ago.

But here's the same-sex attracted twist - their lifelong partners don't have to be of the opposite gender!

Biologist Lindsay C. Young made a groundbreaking finding in 2008 when she start that 31% of Laysan albatross nests in Kaena Point, Hawaii were attended to by female-female couples - more than double the

Both male and female swans have been observed forming lgbtq+ pairs in which they will court, nest, and rear eggs. Studies possess found that this behaviour is more persistent in male swans than in females and particularly Australian male jet swans, who shape stable, long-lasting queer relationships with each other.

During courtship, male same-sex pairs of black swans possess been seen demonstrating courtship displays and mating behaviours, similar to those of opposite-sex pairs. They have also been known to track off other opposite-sex pairs to plunder their nests, including eggs. They will then incubate the eggs and lift the chicks.

Some studies have found that same-sex pairings possess a higher triumph rate in raising chicks, about 80% compared to 30% in opposite-sex pairs. This may be because the pair of males can defend a larger territory, and the incubation duties are shared more evenly between the queer pair.

The iconic flying rainbow of Sydney, the Rainbow Lorikeet is a brightly coloured parrot that is native to the eastern coast of Australia. Both males and females of the species look identical, and it is unachievable to identify their sex just by observing the

Why it's OK for birds to be gay

In greylag geese, nearly a fifth of all long-term couples are composed of two males. They're not alone: More than 130 fowl species are known to engage in homosexual action at least occasionally, a fact that has perplexed scientists.

After all, in evolutionary terms same-sex mating seems to reduce the birds' chances of reproductive success. But that's not necessarily so, according to a new study. In a given species, the sex with lighter parental duties tends to mate more, period whether with the same or the opposite sex.

Birds involve in all kinds of same-sex hanky panky, from elaborate courtship displays to mounting and genital contact to setting up residence together. In some species the same-sex pairs even raise young (conceived with outside partners, obviously) and stay together for several years.

In 2007, a team led by Geoff MacFarlane, a biologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, reported that male homosexual behavior was more common in polygynous bird species, where males mate with numerous females, and that female lesbian behavior was more shared in monogamous species.

Intrigued, MacFarlane looked for aid explaining