Cockatoos in Australia are Learning How to Bin Dive For Food From Each Other

According to a recent study, sulphur-crested cockatoos are learning to open wheelie bins to scavenge for food from one another, and the behavior is quickly spreading around Sydney.

Bin-Diving Cockatoos

Cockatoos acquiring the bin-diving behavior through social interactions have been observed by Australian and German ecologists with the public's aid, with reported sightings of the behavior increasing around Sydney in recent years.

The Cockatoos opening bin lids are being reported by Australians, according to the study. Only three suburbs in greater Sydney and Wollongong had seen bin foraging before 2018: Barden Ridge, Helensburgh, and Sutherland.

By the end of 2019, the ability to access dumpsters had expanded significantly, with sightings confirmed in 44 areas.

Learning from Each Other

One of the study's primary authors, Dr. Barbara Klump of Germany's Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, said the behavior spread more swiftly to nearby regions than to suburbs further away, suggesting that the cockatoos learned through seeing others rather than finding out how to open bins on their own.

"It's not only showing up in those 44 suburbs at the same time," Klump explained, "but it's following... the geographic structure of the suburbs."

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a highly clever parrot known in Australia for its loud shrieking and occasionally destructive behavior. But, like the viral phenomenon Snowball, the dancing cockatoo, is one of the few known non-human creatures capable of dancing in rhythm to the music.

Monitoring the Cockatoos

The researchers marked and monitored 486 cockatoos after the survey. According to firsthand observations, only around 10% of the birds, most of whom were males, were capable of opening the bins. The other cockatoos waited until the bins were opened before sharing the bounty.

Klump described the procedure of a cockatoo swinging open a wheelie bin lid as "very hard," both in terms of motor activity and physical strength. "They have to master a highly sophisticated and multi-step sequence."

According to Klump, more male cockatoos were able to effectively open the bins, maybe because they are larger or more dominating, limiting access to the [food] supply.

Bin Opening

The study, published in the journal Science, also discovered changes in the cockatoos' bin-opening method based on "local subcultures" in various neighborhoods.

"We discovered that when we compared all the birds in Stanwell Park to birds in Sutherland - even though some of them had individual variations - the difference [in technique] is bigger than within each of those sites."

Cockatoos appeared to distinguish between red-lidded general garbage bins and yellow-lidded recycling bins based on color. When observed, the birds opened the general garbage containers 88.8% of the time.

Dr. Richard Major of the Australian Museum, one of the research's co-authors, saw the behavior on his way to work one day and came up with the concept for the study.

When the Behavior Started

The researchers aren't sure when the behavior started. Still, co-author Dr. John Martin of the Taronga Conservation Society believes it may have started with cockatoos scavenging in overflowing bins or bins that were blown open on windy days.

"Those kinds of opportunistic feeding possibilities might have really prompted birds to investigate bins," Martin speculated.

In late 2018, one bird in Narraweena, in northern Sydney, seems to have spontaneously learned itself the behavior, according to the researchers. Klump stated, "That one could not be explained by social learning because it was too far removed [from other reported cases]." "It was gained again through observation from that suburb to the neighboring suburbs.

"The big question today is whether it will spread further."

Looking for More Data

Martin stated that they intended to examine allegations of the behavior in Victoria. "We'd love to have additional information to clarify when and if similar behavior is occurring in other parts of Australia," says the spokesperson.

The researchers have relaunched the study and are looking for online comments from Australians who have seen cockatoo bin openings. "Having a 'No, it doesn't exist here' answer is just as essential for us in this survey," Martin added.

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