Comments on: Dancing bird

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:25:41 +0000

It was morning for me, you guys are 4 hours faster than me.
Macaw-rena That is classic. And good call on the kea, those are some kickass birds and that just shows that a parrot will not open something calmly and easily when it has the option of pulling everything apart.

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:39:58 +0000

Just thought I’d include this Kea parrot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRW4ztbY8Ok&feature=related

This wasn’t the vid I wanted to show, but it shows they’re smart. There was a much better David Attenborough film of them in New Zealand, the crew had constructed an elaborate plywood box with a portcullis. The theory was that two of the kias would pull the rope to open the hatch and the third one would get some peanuts. It was supposed to demonstrate how Kias co-operate in the wild. In the end they all co-operated by unscrewing all the screws holding the box together with their beaks and dismantling the box to get at the nuts!

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:15:06 +0000

SGC – surely if Frostie and Snowball get together they’ll create a cold front!
BTW if you get a whole line of parrots on the dancefloor, could they do the Macaw-rena!

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:06:45 +0000

SGC: “Good morning Flapjack”! I think if you look at the timing of your post it is actually “Good afternoon Flapjack”. Having said that, I agree he is on top form.

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:25:11 +0000

LOL. Good morning, Flapjack. On top form today, I see.
We should get Frosty and Snowball together for a dance-off.
It’s on.

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:09:40 +0000

SGC – if it is a ‘too thing as you say, they’re doing the wrong dance. It takes ‘too to tango!
I’ll get my coat…

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:45:50 +0000

I’m not sure it is imitation. And I don’t see Frosty being reinforced in the original posted video. It COULD be imitation, but like I said, I have seen my tiel perform similar dances (not to music, though) spontaneously. For all we know, the human is imitating the bird either for fun or in the hope of encouraging the Snowball’s current behaviour.
The bare-eyed I like to talk to in the local pet store also dances briefly – again, not to music. He sometimes does it on cue, but he seems to have learned the word “dance” in association with movements he was doing by himself that the staff saw and encouraged.
Birds carry out courtship dances in the wild. There’s no reason why these two ‘toos can’t be doing this spontaneously as a self-rewarding activity, which is just fancy talk for “fun.”
The bare-eyed and the two birds in the video are all cockatoos, and my tiel is closely related to cockatoos. I wonder if it’s a ‘too thing?

By: ReliegiousMarie

ReliegiousMarie — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:23:37 +0000

@Sally…if you look at the clip SCG gave a link too you can see the woman in the shadow of the wall moving like mad too on the music….so, it is immitation but he kinda enjoys!…thats the point…

By: Sally

Sally — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:31:30 +0000

That bird is insane! Clinically, I mean…

To be a real spoil-sport grinch… is it REALLY doing that out of a deep innate desire to shake its ass to some sweet groves? REALLY? Or has it been trained and rewarded for moving about like a mad thing? Hmmm..

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Ha Ha!

I dance like that…seriously