True Friends: Lessons from the Superb Starling

The Unlikely Friendship of Superb Starlings

True friends, most people would agree, are there for each other. Sometimes that means offering emotional support. Sometimes it means helping each other move. And if you’re a superb starling — a flamboyant, chattering songbird native to the African savanna — it means stuffing bugs down the throats of your friends’ offspring, secure in the expectation that they’ll eventually do the same for yours.

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Building Ties Through Reciprocal Helping

Scientists have long known that social animals usually put blood relatives first. But for a study published in the journal Nature, researchers crunched two decades of field data to show that unrelated members of a superb starling flock often help each other raise chicks, trading assistance to one another over years in a behavior that was not previously known.

The Nature of Superb Starling Flocks

Superb starlings are distinctive among animals that breed cooperatively. Their flocks mix family groups with immigrants from other groups. New parents rely on up to 16 helpers, which bring chicks extra food and help run off predators.

Friendship Among Superb Starlings

To their surprise, researchers found that starlings also helped nonrelatives, including when they might have helped family instead. Birds new to the flock helped those born within it, and vice versa. And because superb starlings often switch between breeding and helping roles, the team found that individual birds that helped nonrelatives one breeding season later had their good deeds repaid, sometimes repeatedly.

Long-Term Relationships in the Animal Kingdom

The idea that animals might establish friendships with unrelated individuals has provoked controversy among scientists. However, a growing body of research has led scientists to accept that long-term reciprocal relationships exist among various species.

The Importance of Reciprocal Helping

Such reciprocal helping relationships are probably more important than initially thought. In the harsh and unpredictable African savanna, it’s all hands on deck to raise young. And the addition of immigrant birds is required to make the groups more resilient.

Lessons for Humans

As many experts worry about an epidemic of human loneliness, there could be value in heeding lessons from the superb starling. In other words, strong relationships are often built from providing help.

• Offering support to friends and nonrelatives can strengthen bonds.
• Reciprocal relationships benefit everyone involved.
• Building ties through helping others is essential for survival and thriving.

Conclusion

The behavior of superb starlings sheds light on the importance of reciprocity and friendship in the animal kingdom. By studying these chattering songbirds, we can learn valuable lessons about building relationships and supporting one another. So, next time you offer a helping hand to a friend, remember the superb starling and the power of true friendship.