Like people, chickens also blush when they’re nervous.

Mark Twain once wrote, “Man is the only animal that blushes.” However, a new study seems to have proven the famous American writer wrong. A team from the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment discovered that chickens also blush when they are frightened or excited. The researchers also noted that chickens fluff up their feathers on their heads when they are content. Scientists hope that this discovery will help farmers better understand the emotions of their birds, particularly in assessing their well-being.

What Scientists Learned

For humans, facial expressions are a crucial tool for conveying emotions. However, researchers claim that other mammals, including mice, dogs, cats, and pigs, also use them to express various mental states. Aline Bertin, the lead author of the study, stated that it allowed for similar insights into birds. “The emotional world of birds remains largely unexplored compared to that of mammals. So, we aimed to find out if birds have facial markers of emotions,” she explained.

During the study, scientists recorded the behavior of two groups of chickens: ten birds were raised on a commercial farm, while eight were kept by a private breeder. Analyzing the footage, the team found that the exposed skin on the chickens’ faces turned red when they were scared or excited. For instance, when a person picked them up or they heard a noise they perceived as a threat. The birds also fluffed their feathers on their heads when they were preening or resting, as reported by The Guardian.

This is the first study to link the blush of chickens to their mood. Dr. Paul Rose, who studies animal behavior at the University of Exeter in the UK, believes the findings could help make chickens happier. “To improve our assessment of the welfare of farm animals, we need to use simple and reliable indicators,” Dr. Rose said. “It seems the authors have discovered something interesting, particularly regarding feather fluffing, which will help caregivers and farmers determine how satisfied their birds are,” he added. The results of the study were published in the journal Plos One.