As the song would have it, birds, bees and even educated fleas fall in love. For some birds, however, the love turns sour - they get divorced. Many birds may seem like model parents, with males and females investing more equally in caring for their young than the average mammal. While 85 per cent of bird species are socially monogamous -they form pair bonds and share the workload - divorce is common, occurring in 92 per cent of these species, including the humble great tit (pictured). By analysing data recorded from across 64 species, Antica Culina at the University of Oxford and colleagues found that birds were most likely to divorce when their breeding success was low (Biological Reviews, doi.org/wnw).
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