In a surprising development, Bruce the kea, a parrot missing its upper beak, has astounded scientists with his inventive approach to preening. Rescued in 2012 and residing at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, Bruce faces challenges in foraging due to his beak defect. However, researchers, led by comparative psychologist Amalia Bastos from Johns Hopkins University, discovered Bruce’s remarkable adaptation – using small stones for self-grooming.
“We were like, ‘Well, that’s weird,’” remarked Bastos. Over nine days of observation, the team documented Bruce’s unique behavior, revealing his innovative tool use. The process involves Bruce selecting a suitable stone with his tongue, holding it between his tongue and lower beak, and skillfully preening his feathers.
“It’s crazy because the behavior was not there from the wild,” noted Bastos. Despite arriving at Willowbank too young to learn typical preening, Bruce independently developed this remarkable technique, using pebbles in a way unlike any other bird in the aviary.
Parrots, renowned for their mimicry and problem-solving abilities, challenge traditional views on animal cognition. Irene Pepperberg, a parrot researcher at Boston University, emphasizes the complexity of parrot brains, stating, “Parrots are our evolutionary mirror image.” With their remarkable brains and linguistic capabilities, parrots provide unique insights into a human-like intelligence.
Exploring the parallels between parrots and people, behavioral ecologist Antone Martinho-Truswell highlighted the significance of these birds as “nature’s ‘other try’ at a humanlike intelligence.” The findings challenge conventional perspectives on animal intelligence, illustrating that even with apparent physical differences and a shared ancestor over 300 million years ago, parrots, like Bruce, contribute to our understanding of cognition.
This discovery emphasises the need to rethink assumptions about animal intelligence, as parrots, with their ability to innovate and adapt, showcase a level of cognition previously underestimated.
