As of: March 12, 2024, 3:45 p.m
By: Lara-Sabrina Kiehl
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Parrots need companionship, but they often lack it in captivity.
To close this gap, researchers are trying to find out whether a video call can relieve loneliness.
A research team led by Rébecca Kleinberger, an assistant professor at Northeastern University in Boston, has found that parrots not only have the ability to communicate with each other via video, but also find it an enriching experience.
The study, which focused on 18 parrots from Florida, revealed amazing insights into the social interaction of these intelligent birds.
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Parrots learn to make phone calls – and love it
The researchers trained the parrots to communicate with other parrots via video calls.
If you felt the need to call, you should ring a bell.
Each bird was given a tablet that displayed potential conversation partners in the form of photos.
During the sessions, the animals were able to touch the screen with their beak and make up to two calls lasting a maximum of five minutes.
The research team observed fascinating reactions: joyful croaking, head bobbing, mutual grooming, play behavior and even learning new skills such as foraging, vocalizing and flying via video call.
Parrot Pooki finds his owner's iPad particularly exciting.
As part of a study, parrots learned to conduct video calls with a tablet in no time.
(Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/Imago
The results suggest that parrots not only understand the technical side of video calls, but can also develop an emotional connection with their virtual peers.
This could lead to reducing loneliness in parrots and improving their lives overall.
The social dynamics were particularly impressive, with the parrots that were called most often also initiating the most calls themselves.
This reflects a reciprocal relationship similar to human socialization.
Researchers from Bochum have investigated why parrots and other birds are so smart despite their small brains.
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“Help those who are in captivity”
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Some parrots even developed close virtual friendships.
All of this shows that parrots are social, intelligent and require a complex social environment.
In captivity, they tend to be understimulated, leading to boredom and loneliness.
The ability to make video calls with other parrots could provide the birds with the social interaction they otherwise would have had in the wild.
This is particularly important for pet parrots that live alone.
“We are not saying that this makes them as happy as they would be in the wild,” emphasizes Rébecca Kleinberger.
“We just want to try to help those who are already in captivity.” Here the police stopped a driver for transporting a birdcage in a convertible.
Even though, according to German animal protection law, parrots can only be kept in pairs or, better, in groups, their social needs are hardly met in captivity.
The
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)
writes the following about the minimum requirements for keeping parrots:
“With some exceptions, parrots live in pairs or groups.
In principle, they should also be kept this way when in the care of humans.
Excluded are birds that are currently incompatible, those that are only influenced by humans, and those that are sick or injured.
In the future, when selling parrots, it will be necessary to point out that they will be kept in pairs, and they will therefore generally only be sold in pairs.”
The possibility of reproduction should also be given if the accommodation of the offspring is guaranteed, the
BMEL
continues.
“The extensive behavioral repertoire must be met through varied aviary, cage or shelter equipment, such as fresh twigs or other suitable objects.
The need for social contact must be met by keeping the bird in pairs or, if it is justified to keep it alone, by keeping the bird sufficiently busy on a daily basis.”
Video contact is not good for every parrot
The study's researchers emphasize that introducing video calls to parrots should not be done without precautions.
While the participating birds were carefully introduced to the technology by experienced keepers, unplanned video contacts could trigger fear or aggression in unprepared animals.
The risk of injury or property damage is also present as larger parrots are capable of destroying a tablet with their beak.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.