Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
Introduction: Animals Get Creative in Cities
Animals are very good at figuring out new ways to survive, especially when their homes change because of people. In cities, some animals get really smart and learn to do things they never did before.
For example, some birds in England learned to poke holes in milk bottles left on doorsteps to drink the cream inside. In other places, birds and monkeys have learned to open sugar packets or trade things with humans for food.
But just because one animal figures out a new trick doesn’t mean others will copy it. For a new behavior to become common, it usually has to spread by other animals watching and learning from the first one. If enough animals do it, it can become a tradition, just like how people have customs or habits.
Cockatoos and Their Clever Tricks
Cockatoos are big, noisy parrots that live in Australia. They are super smart and very social, which means they spend a lot of time together and can learn from each other. Even though their wild homes are shrinking, cockatoos are good at living in cities.
A few years ago, scientists saw cockatoos in Sydney figuring out how to open trash bins to get food scraps. At first, only a few birds knew how to do it, but soon, many others copied them. It became a “cockatoo tradition” in some neighborhoods.
Now, scientists have found another clever trick: some cockatoos have learned how to use public drinking fountains made for people!
The Drinking Fountain Discovery
In western Sydney, a group of cockatoos figured out how to drink from special fountains in parks. These fountains have a twist handle (like a knob you turn) and a rubber spout where the water comes out.
People use their hands to turn the handle and get water, but cockatoos don’t have hands—they have beaks and feet!
To use the fountain, a cockatoo has to jump onto it, hold the handle with one foot, grab the spout with the other, and twist the handle just right to make the water flow. This isn’t easy! Out of all the tries, only about 41% were successful. That means more than half the time, the cockatoo didn’t get any water.
How Did Scientists Study the Cockatoos?
The scientists watched the cockatoos in three big parks. They marked some of the birds with colored spots so they could tell them apart.
They also put tiny GPS trackers on two birds to see where they went. Then, they set up cameras near the fountains to record what the birds were doing.
Over 44 days, the cameras caught 525 attempts by cockatoos to use the fountain. Some birds tried many times, while others only tried once or twice. The scientists watched all the videos and wrote down things like:
– What time of day the birds came
– How long each bird spent at the fountain
– If the bird was successful
– If other birds tried to push in or interrupt
What Did They Find Out?
– About 70% of the marked cockatoos tried to use the fountain at least once.
– Most birds visited the fountain early in the morning or late in the afternoon, probably when they were thirsty from flying or foraging.
– The birds didn’t use the fountain more on hot days, but they did avoid it when it was raining.
– If there were a lot of birds around, it was harder for one bird to succeed, probably because of competition.
– Both male and female cockatoos tried to use the fountain, and both were about equally successful.
– Each bird had its own special way of using the fountain, but the birds who succeeded used more similar techniques than those who failed.
Why Is This Important?
This is the first time anyone has seen wild parrots figure out how to use a human drinking fountain! It shows how smart and adaptable cockatoos are. They can watch, learn, and copy new behaviors, turning them into traditions in their group.
The scientists thought maybe the cockatoos used the fountains more when other water sources (like puddles or creeks) dried up, but that wasn’t true.
They used the fountains regularly, no matter the weather. Maybe the water tastes better, or maybe it’s just fun for them to figure out the puzzle.
Why Don’t All Cockatoos Drink From Fountains?
Even though there are lots of drinking fountains in Sydney, only the ones in this one area showed signs of cockatoos using them. This is different from the trash bin trick, which spread to many neighborhoods.
The scientists think this might be because not all fountains are the same. Some have different handles or designs that are harder for birds to use. Also, trash bins are everywhere and look the same, so it’s easier for the bin-opening trick to spread.
What Does This Tell Us About Animals in Cities?
Animals like cockatoos can be really creative when it comes to finding food and water in cities. They learn from each other and can develop new traditions, just like people do. This helps them survive and thrive, even when their natural homes are gone.
Scientists hope that by studying clever animals like cockatoos, we can learn more about how animals adapt to living near people. Maybe we can use this knowledge to help protect them and design cities that are better for both people and wildlife.
Conclusion: Clever Cockatoos
Cockatoos are amazing problem-solvers. First, they learned to open trash bins for food. Now, some have figured out how to use drinking fountains for water.
These new behaviors spread through their groups, showing how animals can invent and share solutions to new challenges. As cities keep growing, we’ll probably see even more animal innovations in the future!
Written by Mitch Rezman and the Windy City Parrot content team.
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