The AFP is reporting that the male blue tit loses interest in his mate when her beauty starts to fade, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology.  And no, a male blue tit is not a victim of multiple purple-nurples, but rather a small bird that looks something like this.  As a result, the males end up “staying out longer and neglecting their offspring” as per the report.

Rather than applying some sort of reverse anti-aging cream, the scientists dulled the feathers on the top of the female tits’ heads with “an oil containing UV-blocking chemicals.”  Let’s just say that the dull birds didn’t get the worm—the males were “skulking off for more alone time and making fewer trips to feed their chicks.”

Though the study compares this to behaviour exhibited by “some” humans, it’s worth noting that the birds usually have several mating partners in their lifetimes.  That’s generally not the case for people, except those who don’t use birth control.  But some things ring true for both man and bird—females “must invest a lot of time in preening to remain attractive as sexual partners.”  Or so say the scientists, anyways.