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Message: <blockquote data-quote="David FG" data-source="post: 1859188" data-attributes="member: 15636">As someone has pointed out already, the mortality rate in birds is so high that if they were capable of experiencing grief or mourning they would be complete wrecks after their first breeding season.And as for emotional attachments to their 'fellows' (which would be essential to feel loss) are we supposed to believe that they feel so little for their own young that very soon after they leave the nest they might as well cease to exist (in the case of most species, certainly) but then they suddenly get back in touch with their 'caring side' when they see a dead one?</blockquote>