Zoologger: The Bird That Cares for its Rival’s Chicks

Zoologger is our weekly column highlighting extraordinary animals – and occasionally other organisms – from around the world

Species: Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus
Habitat: living in ménages à cinq in Australasia and New Zealand, with other subspecies on mainland Asia, Africa and southern Europe

Some people are very forbearing. Take Georgiana Cavendish, duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806). Her best friend, Elizabeth Foster, had a long-standing affair with Georgiana’s husband. Yet for many years Georgiana shared a house with them. Elizabeth even had two illegitimate children with the duke: Georgiana raised them with her own.

Of course, Georgiana was constrained by the society she lived in. Nowadays most people in her position would disown their friend and divorce their spouse. It’s the same in the animal kingdom. Females often get cross if their male mates with a rival, particularly if they get landed with the resulting offspring.

But one bird is just as tolerant of adultery and illegitimate offspring as Georgiana was. Female pūkekos cheerfully let other females lay eggs in their nest, and share the task of caring for them, despite the cost to themselves.

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