Overview
- The peer-reviewed paper published Wednesday reports that masturbation was recorded across 120 bird species in 22 major groups and appears in both males and females and in juveniles and adults.
- Researchers found the behaviour was more common in wild birds than in captive birds, challenging the long-held view that self-stimulation is mainly a captivity-driven sign of poor welfare.
- Phylogenetic analysis showed masturbation clusters on particular branches of the bird family tree and species with multiple mates showed higher rates, which suggests an evolutionary link tied to mating systems.
- The study explains how birds commonly perform self-stimulation by rubbing their cloaca against objects and offers hypotheses for functions such as providing a sexual outlet and improving sperm quality, while stressing these ideas are not experimentally proven.
- Authors recommend against routine suppression by owners or vets and say previously common interventions like hormonal treatments or surgery are usually unnecessary, a finding that could change how breeders and clinicians respond to the behaviour.