Lovebirds kiss. They kiss in the human sense of the word. Often and forever. They kiss before mating or after an argument, or when they find themselves in danger at the approach of a snake.
Lovebirds love each other. They express their love in caring ways. Enduringly and exclusively, until by death do they part. The bond between a lovebird couple is so strong that they do not live very long when separated. They live in small flocks and pair for life, sitting only with their mate. Their fidelity to one another is absolute. Lovebirds are monogamous. Not only don’t they engage in sex before marriage, but even premarital kissing is forbidden.
Many animal species practice lifelong monogamy. These include numerous species of songbirds, ravens, doves and greylag geese— as well as some whales, butterfly fish, crabs, badgers, gibbons and dwarf antelope. Even jackals are monogamous. It should be noted that most people think jackals are donkeys, when they are in fact wild dogs. So it will not surprise those men and women at all who believe ‘monogamy is for jackasses.’
Another example of faithful pairing is the macaw, one of the most colorful parrots. Male macaws crave company. In his jungle habitat, the male macaw thrives with friends and shows himself to be a most tender lover. A solitary macaw is the saddest animal. Isolation plunges him into depression. But marriage satisfies and soothes him. He and his mate find comfort in constancy.
When male and female macaws mate, they pair for life. They care for one another and express their love through the giving of gifts. Male macaws bring home the finest fruits and nuts of the jungle to their wives.
For all members of the animal kingdom, including homo sapiens, monogamy demands the denial of temptations that abound in their social environment. They must resist the seductive lure of so many things that look pretty, feel good and taste delicious. This requires extreme self-discipline.
But for all species, self-control is in short supply. Loyalty to the vow of sex with only one’s spouse is a marital ideal, more than a reality. Countless studies show that over the lifetime of an animal marriage, including those between humans, sexual fidelity is more the exception than the rule.
So consider this:
If birds, rather than human beings, conducted field research and published their findings, the professional literature would read quite differently. It would conclude that “Just because homo sapiens arrived in the Kingdom of Living Things after birds, this does not mean that humans should be placed above birds on the evolutionary ladder.”
And would the birds be wrong?
Even when based on empirical evidence, isn’t all investigation just interpretation? In the final analysis, I think we can agree that the species holding the pen holds the power.