US EditionThese clever birds can open trash cans and drink from water fountains
- Researchers at Australian National University observed sulfur-crested cockatoos drinking from public water fountains in Canberra starting in 2018.
- The team began studying this behavior after discovering the birds could open trash cans and use fountains, noting it may reflect a local cultural tradition.
- The cockatoos coordinate by gripping the fountain with one foot and twisting the handle with the other to release water, then tilt back to drink.
- About 70 percent of local cockatoos tried using fountains, showing the complex action requires significant coordination and strength to compress the spring inside.
- This widespread drinking behavior among wild parrots suggests advanced problem-solving and may represent a learned local practice persisting over years.
17 Articles
17 Articles
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der Standard DEIn Australia, yellow cap kakadus have not only learned to open trash cans. The intelligent birds can now also use water dispensers
These clever birds can open trash cans and drink from water fountains
First, these parrots learned to open trash cans to forage for food. Now, they’ve taken it a step further – and have figured out how to turn on water fountains for a sip along with their meal.
Clever Urban Cockatoos Figure Out How To Drink From Public Water Fountains Designed for Humans
Researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra, who were studying urban sulfur-crested cockatoos, discovered that these incredibly clever wild parrots learned how to drink from public water fountains designed for humans. The birds used their beaks and claws to get the water flowing after a bit of trial and error. The parched parrots grip the fountain with one foot, and twist the handle with the other, compressing the spring insid…
Some wild cockatoos have figured out how to operate a drinking fountain. Video footage from Australia shows the birds grasping the handle and then turning it before taking a sip.
Answers to Mysteries: Do Parrots Understand What They Say? And Why Don't We Remember Being Children?
In the wild, parrots whistle, squawk, whistle, and trill to communicate with their flock mates. These highly social birds rely on their complex communication systems to find food and warn of potential danger, and research even suggests that parrots use contact calls to address each other, much like people call each other by name. Scientists' Answers to Various Mysteries: What If a Giant Asteroid Hadn't Wiped Out the Dinosaurs? Over a Hundred Wor…
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