by Pajarita » Sat Sep 21, 2019 12:46 pm
It might be. Usually, in the wild, where resources are always limited, the question is between compassion for the other or one's surival so the strongest would eat as much as possible and, if the weaker doesn't get enough is just the old 'survival of the fittest' axiom at work - which sounds terribly cold-hearted to us but, in reality, is the mechanism that nature uses to keep the species strong and healthy. But, in captivity, where food resources are always rich and constant (and even in the wild, under limited circumstances), there have been many behaviors that one cannot but consider purely altruistic - even between different species. Cockatiels are intensely flock oriented so I would not be suprised if, given the fact that they know there will be plenty to eat every day, the stronger members kind of watch out for the weaker ones just so as to keep the flock whole. I love cockatiels! They are so sweet!