Goffin cockatoos aren’t known to use tools in their natural Indonesian habitats, but put them in a lab in Austria and it’s a whole different story.
Goffin cockatoos aren’t known to use tools in their natural Indonesian habitats, but put them in a lab and it’s a whole different story.
Scientists recently observed that the birds are capable of making helpful implements, a skill they can learn from one another.
It all started with Figaro, a resident of the research aviary. It seems that on his own he figured out how to use a stick to bring out of reach nuts closer to him.
A true innovator, he also devised a way to whittle the valuable tools from larger blocks of wood.
That gave the researchers an idea for an experiment and they gathered six more birds and had them watch as Figaro displayed his newly discovered skills.
Not only did most of the birds catch on and start making sticks of their own, they devised a more efficient method for gathering the rewards.
Said one of the researchers, “There is a substantial difference between repeating a teacher's behaviour and emulating his or her achievements while creating one's own methods. The latter implies a creative process stimulated by a social interaction…”