A new study revealed the intimate lives of wild birds especially when it comes to their love rituals. Scientists discovered that wild birds not only make great life partners but they also devote the rest of their lives to their chosen mate where they will also sacrifice foraging for food if it means staying close by their significant other.

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Researchers from Oxford University led by Josh Firth examined and studied specific birds during the course of this study to determine this fascinating practice among birds. This study focuses on a bird species called great tits as researchers also believe that this can also be applied to other species, such as birds who are already known to be devoted toward their life partners.

These species of birds who possess the uncanny ability to practice monogamy, or those who pair up with one individual during most of their entire lifetimes are eagles, swans, geese, cranes, parrots and of course, the lovebirds.

Firth says that their choice to stay near their partner as opposed to acquiring food shows their behavior based on an individual bird's decisions that can be shaped and manifested into developing long term benefits from maintaining relationships.

During the study, the team conducted experiments, testing the loyalties of birds for one another by using automated bird feeding stations that only allow select birds to feed, via a specific radio frequency determining their each identity. The experiment shows how the machines were rigged in order for only one bird in a couple will not be able to feed from the same machine as their partner.

The results of the study determined that the birds have chosen to remain with their partners as opposed to leaving them in favor of better and easier access to food.

What's more surprising is that, smarter bird couples figured a way to trick the feeding machine's system. Researchers discovered that some birds were able to uncover how the feeding machine becomes unlocked for a few seconds after identifying a bird with the right radio frequency tag.

With this knowledge, one of the birds will use its own tag to unlock the feeding machines while its partner will gather and feed as much during that time window lasting for a few seconds, as the machine becomes unlocked.

Firth and the team reveals that these results demonstrated how important social relationships are for certain bird species for their expression, consequences and individual behavior. This kind of social behavior is not only limited to partners or couples but the birds' also showed cooperation with their partner's flock mates so that they can solve bigger problems together.

This new study is published in the journal, Current Biology.

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