Do finches mourn loss of their mates?

[shirleyo]

I have lost mates of CB's in the past and the males, although seemingly upset, soon are themselves. I had 2 CB males and just got 2 CB females -- so they seem to be fine. I feel so sorry for my WH Nun who just lost his/her mate. Seems so sad. Wonder what you think about this? Can't find Nuns in NJ, am on lists. Nun is in large cage with 4 CBs, 1 Mannekin.

[L in Ontario]

Yes I believe birds and other animals, mourn the loss of their mates/friends; but not for long. They are smart - they 'get on with life'.

[KoacNation]

I'm not sure they "mourn" in the sense of sadness, I think there's no way to really know that specific emotion, but just two weeks ago, one of my gouldians lost her mate, and before I realized it, I did see her peeking in one nest that she never peeked in.

After I removed the dead mate from that nest box, she chirped and was turning her head around like I have never heard in the days after.

I clearly think she "noticed" his absence an kept calling out to him, but was she "mourning"? Not sure.

So, for what it is worth, I'd say they definitely know when a mate is gone.

[ikhom]

I remember when I lost the hen (red-ears waxbill) the male was calling her for what looks like weeks and it sound like "where are you?". He was very upset. They were nesting at that time.

[JohnBoy]

I also believe that birds get upset when they lose a mate. I have witnessed scenes that appears to be some sort of anxiety that could me grieving, mourning or something similar. I have had birds also that called for weeks for their mates if I was unable to get a replacement sooner.

[Mozelle]

I know that my Strawberry finch has made the strangest calls and songs since his mate died last week. Sounds he didn't make before...
It's clear to me he's trying to find her...

It's been a few days, perhaps in a couple more he'll calm back down.

[annague]

I have a red-cheek Cordon Bleu female that lost her "first love" in a tragic accident -- prior to, they were inseparable and if one was removed to a different location they would call to each other over and over.

After he died she called for him all day and that was the first time I heard her sing for long periods of time in the evening in the same corner of the cage after all the other birds had gone to roost for the night.

I bought several more RCCBs and one of the males courted her with great attention for several weeks. She watched him sing and dance for her but every night she would still go into the branches at the top of the cage and sing for a long time after all the other birds went to bed. Eventually she accepted him as a preening and roosting partner but she still wouldn't go to nest with him and eventually, when another female became free he left her to raise a brood with the other female.

To this day, she is still alone except for an occasional preen from her old partner that moved on and though she doesn't sing as often as she used to, she still sings alone at night and I think it's for her lost first love.

However, I think she is an exception to the rule -- most all of my other birds including other RCCBs appear to mourn briefly and then move on with life.

Birds are like people, they are all alike in some ways and different in others.