A rooster from Salty Acres, a small edible-plant nursery in North Carolina, United States, made the internet go wild with a gesture worthy of a true gentleman: he roams the garden looking for small, ripe fruits and jumps to put them within reach of the hens who live alongside him.
The rooster was dubbed “Husband of the Year” by internet users, but behind this curious gesture is a scientific explanation that goes far beyond love.
Experts know this behavior as “tidbitting”.
When a rooster finds something edible, he may make a series of characteristic head movements while pecking at or handling the food, and produce specific calls. He isn’t necessarily announcing that he wants to eat it himself: he’s letting the hens know that there’s food there. And they understand the message; that’s their way of communicating.
The behavior is also related to courtship: males tend to perform it in front of females they want to approach.
And here’s the fascinating part: birds see a color that we don’t. They have a fourth type of cone in their eyes that allows them to perceive ultraviolet light, and many ripe fruits reflect that hidden glow. While you see an ordinary berry, he sees a glowing signal that says “that one’s ripe” and that’s the perfect gift for any feathered lady.
With that level of affection, how many men could compete?