Parrots taught to video call each other become less lonely, finds research

[sl8]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/21/parrots-taught-to-video-call-each-other-become-less-lonely-finds-research

Parrots taught to video call each other become less lonely, finds research

US study got owners to train their pets to contact other birds using a touchscreen tablet

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent
Fri 21 Apr 2023 12.36 EDT

Pet parrots that are allowed to make video calls to other birds show signs of feeling less isolated, according to scientists.

The study, which involved giving the birds a tablet that they could use to make video calls, found that they began to engage in more social behaviour including preening, singing and play. The birds were given a choice of which “friend” to call on a touchscreen tablet and the study revealed that the parrots that called other birds most often were the most popular choices.

Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, of the University of Glasgow and a co-author of the research, said that video calls had helped many people feel less isolated in the pandemic. She added: “There are 20 million parrots living in people’s homes in the USA, and we wanted to explore whether those birds might benefit from video calling too. If we gave them the opportunity to call other parrots, would they choose to do so, and would the experience benefit the parrots and their caregivers?”

Their analysis, based on more than 1,000 hours of footage of 18 pet parrots, suggested that there were, indeed, benefits for the birds. In the wild, many species of parrots live in large flocks, but as pets tend to be kept alone or in a small group. Isolation and boredom can cause birds to develop psychological problems, which can manifest as rocking, pacing back and forth, or self-harming behaviours such as feather-plucking.

Video calling could reproduce some of the social benefits of living in a flock, the scientists suggested.

[...]

[Just_Vote_Dem]

1. I would love to have a bird for a pet

but I hate seeing them in cages.

If I had a huge back yard that I could make a big space for them to fly around, I would consider it, but that's not happening.

[mucifer]

3. I get so sad when i see one bird in a bird cage alone. It's evil . They don't deserve that.

2 in a cage is less horrible.

[Beetwasher.]

9. I keep my birds cage open all the time

He has free reign.

[shrike3]

10. Be careful. A friend of mine opened her patio door on a very cold and snowy night to retrieve

something. Took less than a minute, but she forgot the bird was out. Off he flew. Never to be seen again. She did everything possible to find him and bring him home. I doubt he survived the conditions and in her heart she knows it, too. She still cries over it. She's a very responsible pet owner, but accidents happen. Keep your feather baby safe.

[Beetwasher.]

12. Thanks, I Know, He's Safe

[Lucinda]

2. Thank you for the info!

[Ziggysmom]

4. Gotta show the husband this. He insists an iPad is too difficult for him to use!

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. People need physical interaction. Together, in person.

Video calling could reproduce some of the social benefits of living in a flock, the scientists suggested.

Yeah, just not the one where we are all in the same area, which is the definition of a 'flock'.

Nothing is going to replace real time, in person social interaction. The thought that there are things that can is partly why we are living with all of these idiots killing people indiscriminately. Such people are not human to them as they have no understanding of humans if they are never around any.

[Tarc]

7. Thanks for the input there, Debbie Downer

You must be a blast at parties.

[OldBaldy1701E]

11. I used to be. (n/t)

[nycbos]

6. Sorry of parrots without thinking of the parrot sketch from Monty Python.

[electric_blue68]

8. What a great idea! Kudos to them for trying it out.