A recent study found that parrots, who are usually the only bird living in a home, displayed behavior that suggested they were less lonely if they could regularly video chat with other parrots on a tablet. The study gave 18 pet parrots in homes across the country a tablet from which they could place a video call to any of the other participating parrots.
After reviewing owners’ notes and 1,000 hours of footage from the 147 deliberate calls the birds made, the researchers found that the birds “seemed to grasp” the concept that they were actually interacting with the parrot on the other end of the line. They mimicked behaviors seen in real-life parrot-to-parrot interactions and were less likely to engage in behaviors that indicated they were too lonely, like rocking or feather plucking.
“I was quite surprised at the range of different behaviors,” said Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas from the University of Glasgow, a co-author of the study. “Some would sing, some would play around and go upside down, others would want to show another bird their toys.”
