A bird living on the coast of the US is the world’s most promiscuous bird, say scientists.

The saltmarsh sparrow, a bird that lives in the marshes of Connecticut, was found to have extreme levels of multiple mating.

The researchers found that 95% of females mated with more than one male during each nesting period.

This unusual behaviour could be a survival mechanism due to coastal flooding, researchers say.

The researchers, who are based in the US, publish their results in the journal The Auk.

Sexy sparrows

Using DNA analyses and studying the birds mating behaviour in the marsh habitat, the scientists revealed the highly promiscuous activities of the bird.

We think that it is the most promiscuous bird species studied to date
Professor Chris Elphick
University of Connecticut

“We found that nearly every clutch of eggs was the product of more than one father, and that within broods it was extremely common for any two siblings to have different fathers,” says Professor Chris Elphick from the University of Connecticut.