Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together: Macaw Parrot-to-Parrot Video-Calling 

Scarlet macaw parrot. A one-on-one conversation with a friend who lives abroad or presenting the offspring to relatives at home in image and sound: Today, this is very easy with video chat services such as Zoom and FaceTime. Many people have come to appreciate the offer. especially during the corona pandemic, when face-to-face meetings were not possible. scarlet macaw cost

But can animals also do something with this form of social contact? Rébecca Kleinberger, assistant professor at Northeastern University in Boston, investigated this question together with researchers from Northeastern University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Glasgow.

The study team has already examined whether different animal species – from dogs to orcas – understand and benefit from computer interaction. The researchers have now shown parrots how to video call other parrots and found. that the birds not only understand this form of communication, but also enjoy it. scarlet macaw for sale near me

Scarlet macaw parrot contact through video

There are several reasons why the new  study focuses on parrots. For one thing, the birds are extraordinarily intelligent: the cognitive abilities of some species are equivalent to those of early elementary school children. Second, their eyesight is good enough to see movement on a screen. They are also gifted vocalists, a trait that in the wild helps them find their flock mates in the dense rainforest canopy.

The study involved 18 animals living at the  Parrot Nursery in Jupiter, Florida. Their keepers taught them to ring a bell when they wanted to call a fellow animal. They were then given a tablet with photos of possible interlocutors on the screen. In each three-hour session, each bird could tap the screen with its beak to initiate up to two calls. each lasting a maximum of five minutes. If the parrots showed any signs of fear or aggression during the call, keepers were instructed to end the call.

While three birds dropped out of the study early, fifteen of them enjoyed it so much that they continued to the end and used the time allowed for calls to the last second. They responded to their conspecifics by happily croaking and nodding their heads, groomed themselves, showed playful behavior and began to sing. “There was a strong social dynamic,” says Kleinberger.

Not only did the birds call each other voluntarily and seemed to understand that there was a real parrot on the other end, they also learned new skills such as foraging, new sounds and even flying from each other via video call. red macaw for sale