Grieving the death of a loved one is a natural act which we humans do. As it is a way of expressing our sorrows on the death of our loved one. Not only humans but animals also grieve the loss of their loved ones. As in many cases, they stop eating and drinking at the loss of their loved ones. But do birds also grief on the loss of their babies? Do birds mourn the loss of a baby? Let’s explore these questions.
However, birds also have emotions and feelings, and they use to express their feelings towards their family in several ways. And they also mourn the loss of their babies. As birds are too sensitive during their breeding period. And try their best to protect their babies and feed them well.
As this is a significant example, the birds have feelings and emotions due to which they care for their child and try their best to grow them well. That’s why birds also mourn the loss of their babies. However, different birds mourn the loss of their babies in different ways.
If you are interested to know about it, then navigate this article. As in this article, I’m going to discuss the bird’s mourn behavior. So let’s start.
Do Birds Mourn the Loss of a Baby?
However, many individuals believe that birds don’t have feelings and emotions. And there is also no scientific proof that birds have feelings and emotions. And due to these reasons, people think that birds don’t mourn the loss of their babies.
But as we all know that birds become sensitive during their breeding periods. And they don’t allow anyone to approach their eggs and nestlings also. But in my opinion, this behaviour is an example that birds also have feelings and emotions.
And as birds are too caring for their eggs and young ones, their death can also cause sorrow for them. That’s why birds also use to mourn the loss of their babies. However, different birds show their grief for the loss of a baby in different ways.
For example, a mother pigeon used to mourn the loss of a baby for several days. And they show this with their different actions. As mother pigeon use to stare the place where baby pigeon breath it’s last. Moreover, many times, mother pigeons start to eat less and forget to look after their other babies in the sorrow of their died baby.
However, the birds that belong to the family of corvids like crows, ravens, rooks, jays, choughs, nutcrackers, etc., also mourn the loss of their babies and companions.
For example, we all know that crows gather and make different noises when they see other dead crow. However, their period of mourn for the loss of other crow lasts for almost twenty minutes.
Not only this, but jaybirds also mourn the loss of their baby and companions. And they do this by gathering around the dead body and make different noises. Moreover, they don’t forage during this, and according to a study, they cannot forage for up to 48 hours.
Moreover, dove birds used to visit the place where their baby bird die. Or where they see their baby bird for the last time. This is how they mourn for the loss of their baby birds.
Furthermore, parrots also show signs of grief for the loss of their babies. As they become less interested in eating, playing, speaking, etc. Moreover, they fall into depression and start behaving aggressively on the loss of their babies.
Read also: Can Baby Birds Eat Bread ?
Do Birds Mourn the Loss of Their Mate?
A precise answer to this question is yes. As many birds are monogamous means, they want to have one mate at a time. And the birds which fall in that category are pigeons, parrots, ducks, penguins, etc. As these birds mourning the loss of their mates.
However, the reason is that they don’t look for other mates when they mate someone. And these birds can live with a single mate for their whole life. But, because of it, they mourn the loss of their mates. And sometimes they fall into depression because of the death of their mate.
As depression and aggressive behavior are common signs of mourn for the loss of their mates in birds. Not only this, but such monogamous birds can die because of heartbreak. And if you want to avoid any unwanted situation, you can arrange another mate for your bird.
What Birds Do with Their Dead Babies?
However, different birds behave differently when their babies die in the nest. As many birds toss them out, they don’t have another choice but to make living space for other nestlings.
Moreover, a dead bird can attract many pets in the nest, which can cause trouble for other nestlings. That’s why mother birds don’t have any other choice but to kick it out from the nest.
However, sometimes, the body of a dead bird can crush by its siblings inside the nest. And the birds of prey prefer to eat their babies rather than kick them out.
Read also: What Happens If a Baby Bird Died in The Nest?
Where Do Birds Go When They Die?
However, it is common thinking that birds live all around us, but we rarely see a bird’s dead body. Why is it so? However, according to a study, birds, when they fall ill, move to safe and hidden places so that predators cannot come close to them.
And when they die, their bodies decompose quickly in such hidden places. And we only can find those dead birds which died in an accident.
Wrap Up:
Do birds mourn the loss of a baby? Yes, birds mourn the loss of a baby. As birds also have emotions and feelings, and the grief their babies. However, different birds mourn the loss of a baby in different ways. For example, as they make different loud sounds, and also sometimes they stop foraging for hours.
Moreover, a bird also mourns the loss of its mates. And sometimes, a loved bird with emotionally intelligence fall into depression due to the death of their mate. As death of their mates is one of the biggest causes of depression in birds.