NEWS: Cockatoos teach each other how to make and use tools

[NiRD]

Cockatoos Learn How To Make and Use Tools From Each Other | IFLScience

A curious species of Indonesian parrot*can learn to make and use wooden tools*-- and this*innovation can be successfully spread from the inventor to others.

 

[95talongirl]

That's too cool!

 

[RavensGryf]

Interesting! Those Toos are 'too' smart! I've only heard of Corvids making tools.

 

[NiRD]

Interesting! Those Toos are 'too' smart! I've only heard of Corvids making tools.

Up until today, so have I!

 

[Allee]

Love the videos, not entirely surprised for some reason.

 

[pycthedragon]

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest - Cockatoos and other parrots are astoundingly smart.

Interesting! Those Toos are 'too' smart! I've only heard of Corvids making tools.

Many animals make tools, but what's amazing here is the transfer of that information to other birds. That is phenomenal.

 

[strudel]

They are very clever, and very adept at using them.

Wouldn't that be a great job? Teaching cockies things?

 

[Amadeo]

Very interesting. I too have only heard about corvids making and using tools so this is really interesting, though it isn't really much of a surprise. A lot of hookbill birds are just as intelligent as corvids and can be taught by humans, so learning skills from others of their own species to acquire food makes sense.
I wonder why the females didn't pick up the skill though.

 

[Scott]

Great article/videos, thanks for bumping! (hadn't seen this before!)

Goffins are highly intelligent and capable of Houdini-like actions to open cages, remove screws/bolts, etc.

One of my Goffins, Gabby, enjoying a video from the article:

 

[wrench13]

Palm cockatoo males are well known for selecting and shaping just the right stick to beat upon hollow logs to attract females.

My own parrot Salty makes up his own tricks. Example - we have some 6" diameter hoops that we trained himto walk through. Then one night he took the ring in his beak and flipped it over his head. If that wasn't enough after a few weeks of doing that he started balance the ring so it stands strainght up ( hard enough to do) and he walks through it.

Parrots in general are scary smart Blue throat macaws are well known as the mechanical engineers of the parrot world and most owners have to weld cage parts together becasue the birds will literally take a screwed together cage to pieces. Quaker parrots build communal nests that withstand hurricanes better than many man made structures