爲生存 鳥兒也玩"斷背"

Birds can have gay relationships that last for life, say researchers.
　　研究人員表示，鳥類之間原來也有同性的“斷背情意”，並且還會天長地久，持續一輩子。

They found that if isolated from the opposite sex, same sex birds will pair off with each other.

他們發現，在與異性隔離的情況之下，同性的鳥類將會與彼此結成伴侶。

The scientists studied young zebra finches, which are known for forming lifelong relationships.

科學家們以年輕的斑馬雀作爲研究對象，這種鳥兒便是以畢生忠貞不渝的伴侶關係而聞名。

　　When raised in same-sex groups, more than half the birds paired up together. When females were then brought into the male group, five out of eight pairs of males ignored them and stuck with their male partner.

科學家們飼養了一羣雄性的斑馬雀，有超過一半的鳥兒找到了自己的另一半。當有一隻雌性的斑馬雀被放到了這個“男人堆”裏時，八對鳥兒之中的五對都對於這位“女士”熟視無睹，並且繼續與自個兒的男伴情意綿綿。

As in their relationships with the opposite sex, they were found to be as 'attached and faithful', perching side by side, nesting together and greeting each other by nuzzling each other's beaks.

在斑馬雀在與異性的感情關係中，它們會表現得十分的“恩愛和忠誠”，並肩棲息，共築愛巢，通過相互磨蹭對方的喙部以此作爲示好。

Lead author Dr Julie Elie, from the University of California, Berkeley, said:

研究報告的主筆作者Julie Elie來自位於伯克利的加州大學，她說：

'Relationships in animals can be more complicated than just a male and a female who meet and reproduce.

“動物之間的兩性關係遙遠要比‘雄性遇到雌性後便繁衍後代’複雜得多。”

'My observations of [them] led me to this surprising result: same-sex individuals would also interact... like male-female pairs.'

“我對這些鳥兒的觀察所得出的結論讓我十分驚訝：原來同性的動物個體之間也有會互動，這就像雄性與雌性伴侶那樣。”

Her team, whose study is published in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, believes the same-sex pairings could be a strategy for survival, the birds teaming up to defend resources and fight predators.

她與研究團隊所完成的研究報告發表在《行爲生態學和社會生物學》期刊之上，同性的鳥兒們之間結成伴侶是一種求生的“策略”，它們會一起保衛自己的資源，抵抗掠食者。

'A pair-bond in socially monogamous species represents a cooperative partnership that may give advantages for survival,' Dr Elie continued.

Elie博士說：“在這種實行‘一夫一妻制’的物種當中，這種同性的伴侶代表了一種合作的關係，這將爲它們的生存提供優勢。”

'Finding a social partner, whatever its sex, could be a priority.'

“尋找到一個社會性的伴侶，無論是哪種性別，都是一件非常重要的事情。”

Dr Elie said there were several examples of same-sex pairing in the avian world.

Elie教授說在動物世界中還有很多這樣同性伴侶的例子。

In monogamous gulls and albatrosses, it gave females the chance to breed without a male partner.

海鷗與信天翁同樣有“一夫一妻”傳統，不過雌性在沒有雄性的前提下可以更好的哺育後代。

'Female partners copulate with a paired male then rear the young together,' Dr Elie explained.

Elie教授解釋到，“雌性在與雄性伴侶交配之後，會主動的去接近更年輕的雄性。”

In captivity, there have been at least two cases of male penguins choosing each other over a females companion.

在人工飼養的環境中，已經出現了兩個雄性企鵝會在選擇同性而不是異性的例子。

Two male chinstrap penguins in Manhattan's Central Park Zoo, named Roy and Silo, bonded and paid no attention to females in their enclosure for at least a year.

在曼哈頓的中央公園裏，有兩隻雄性南極企鵝，分別叫做Roy和Silo，在它們固步自封的一年中，對於雌性企鵝毫無興趣。

They built a nest together, incubated and hatched a fertilised egg donated to them by one of the keepers.

他們一同築起了個窩，並且孵化這支受精的企鵝卵，讓直到小企鵝破殼而出。