Cockatoo birds are renowned in Australia for their raucous singing, but researchers said Thursday they also boast an impressive array of dance moves.
Many Australians regard cockatoos as something of a nuisance, a reputation owed in part to the parrots’ cacophonous, screeching cries.
But when they are not using their sharp beaks to rifle through rubbish, a new study found many cockatoo species seemed to enjoy shaking their tail feathers.
Charles Sturt University researcher Natasha Lubke documented 30 different dance moves while studying various species of cockatoo — from headbanging to body rolls.
“I showed that dancing behaviour is more common in cockatoos than previously thought, and was seen in 10 of the 21 cockatoo species,” said Lubke.
Lubke scrolled through YouTube videos to document the dancing behaviours of pet cockatoos around the world, as well as observing the birds at Australia’s Wagga Wagga Zoo.
The research suggested that cockatoos “can experience pleasure and enjoy dancing”, she said.
Animal behaviour expert Raf Freire, who supervised the research, said it was a sign of “well-developed cognitive and emotional processes in parrots”.
The study was published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS One.
Once dubbed “Australia’s naughtiest bird”, the sometimes irksome behaviour of sulphur-crested cockatoos is a source of constant fascination to scientists.
Researchers earlier this year documented how a flock of cockatoos in urban Sydney had figured out how to use drinking fountains.
The Australian government in 2017 spent US$50,000 (Aus$80,000) repairing damage to high-speed internet cables stripped and chewed by cockatoos.
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