Research has repeatedly shown that non-human animals experience same-sex attraction.

The Laysan albatross comes to mind. And who could forget the gay vultures forced to mate with women? Or what about that pair of gay penguins who are described as the "best parents" at a Chinese zoo?

Well, a new study suggests that another type of bird, the zebra finch, also experiences gay love, and their relationships are just as strong as their straight counterparts.

Here are details on the research:

First, [lead researcher Dr Julie Elie of U.C. Berkeley] and her colleagues, Clementine Vignal and Nicolas Mathevon from the University of Saint-Etienne, raised young finches in same-sex groups. More than half of the birds paired up with another bird of the same sex.

The team then closely monitored the birds for signs that they had bonded fully.

Bonded birds, Dr Elie explained, perch side by side, nestled together. They also greet each other by "nuzzling" beaks.

In the next stage of their study, the scientists brought novel females to a group of bonded male-male pairs. Out of eight males that were engaged in same-sex pair-bonds, five ignored the females completely and continued to interact with their male partner.

The findings indicate that, even in birds, the drive to find a mate is far more complicated than simply the need to reproduce.

"A pair-bond in socially monogamous species represents a cooperative partnership that may give advantages for survival," said Dr Elie. "Finding a social partner, whatever its sex, could be a priority."

While this study proves, yet again, that gay love is completely biological and natural, expect conservatives to claim that the same-sex birds were somehow duped into coupling off.