LONDON - A male budgerigar is far more likely to be tempted into an illicit affair when out of sight of his mate, New Scientist magazine reports today. US scientists Ms Aliza Baltz and Ms Anne Clark said the small green parrots usually live in stable pairs when, raising their young. They studied 13 pairs as they were starting to breed. They gave each male two chances to interact" with a new female once under the stern stare of his mate and once while she was hidden behind a screen.
"Almost three quarters of the action occurred when their mates could not see them," New Scientist reports.