The group of 15 birds were presented with a sea mango, a fruit native to the area which has a tough stone in the centre.
They hoped to conduct controlled studies while allowing the cockatoos to act as naturally as possible. Researchers instead decided to capture the birds and place them in a temporary aviary in the field. But despite two projects and almost 37 days spent observing the birds, there was no sign of it. Goffin's cockatoo makes a popular pet, meaning many wild birds are trapped for the wildlife trade.įollowing the observations in captivity, researchers began to look for tool use within wild cockatoos. There are estimated to be a few hundred thousand of them in existence, which are limited to their island homes. Goffin's cockatoo is found on the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia, with a few introduced populations in Singapore, Taiwan and Puerto Rico. However, in this instance, the study's authors believe their discovery 'represents one of the most complex examples of tool use so far recorded in any species without hands.' Previous studies found that captive birds are able to make the same tools from a variety of materials, adapting to the properties of each medium.
This is where the atypical environment, such as increased free time and time spent with other tool users, is suggested to make it more likely for individuals to make tools. There have been suggestions of 'captivity bias' on parrots who make tools in laboratory settings. However, while the birds are prolific at producing tools in captivity, the situation in the wild is less clear-cut.
Tool use has also been hinted at in the palm cockatoo, with males producing a 'drumstick' for use in their displays to females. Parrots have a relatively large brain, a prolonged upbringing by their parents and a complex social structure. Parrots have long been candidates for being tool users and manufacturers, sharing a number of characteristics with tool-using humans, chimpanzees and orangutans. Researchers hope to study the species more in depth in the coming years to discover how these behaviours originate. Their actions are one of a few examples of non-primates making tools in the wild. Two wild cockatoos demonstrated their ability to fashion toolkits from tree branches, which they used to access the seed matter found within the stone of fruits. Researchers studying Goffin's cockatoo found that the parrot species was capable of making three different types of tool while tucking into the fruits.
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