Birds Masturbate More Often Than We Thought and Scientists Say It's Completely Normal

Key Points:

• A new evolutionary analysis reveals that masturbation is a widespread and natural behavior across many bird species, occurring in both males and females, and is more commonly reported in wild birds than captive ones.
• This behavior is phylogenetically conserved among bird lineages, suggesting it evolved multiple times independently, and is not simply a result of captivity-related stress or frustration.
• Masturbation in birds may serve reproductive functions such as improving sperm quality or influencing fertilization success, with higher prevalence in species exhibiting multiple mating partners rather than long-term monogamous bonds.
• The study challenges the common perception among bird owners that masturbation indicates behavioral problems, emphasizing it as a normal part of bird biology while noting that excessive or harmful instances still require veterinary care.
• Researchers hope these findings will improve understanding of avian behavior and inform better welfare practices for pet birds, especially given the increasing number of bird owners worldwide.