News Animals

‘Cheating’ birds change their tune

Subtle shifts in a male pied flycatcher’s song reveal it’s already paired — and females notice

A small black-and-white songbird perches on a wooden platform with its beak open.

A suitor’s mating status is important to a female pied flycatcher because males (one shown) that split their time between two nests provide less help raising chicks.

© josefmetzger/iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0)

By Clarissa Brincat

To avoid ending up with a less committed mate, some female birds listen for red flags in their suitor’s song.