Video Calls Between Parrots Help Form Friendships, Study Finds

Over the past few years, we’ve all gotten a little more comfortable with keeping in touch through video calls, whether it’s Zoom or something else. Birds may be on board with maintaining friendships in this way, too, according to a new study.

Researchers at Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and MIT recently teamed up to see what would happen if parrots were taught how to use tablets and smartphones to call each other. The team found that these chats helped mirror communication in the wild and even appeared to create bonds that were good for the animals’ wellbeing.

To conduct the research, the team showed a variety of parrot species and their caregivers how to video chat through Facebook Messenger on tablets and smartphones. Over the next three months, the researchers observed how the birds used this ability and whether or not they would choose to call each other.

It turns out, they did. These conversations usually went for the full allotted time, too. During these calls, caregivers said the birds learned new skills from each other, formed strong attachments to certain other parrots and even to other caregivers, and appeared to have a positive experience overall.

There was something more, too: Based on the vocalizations they used with each other, it appeared that they were mimicking communication in the wild.

Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, study co-author and assistant professor at the University of Glasgow, says, “It really speaks to how cognitively complex these birds are and how much ability they have to express themselves.”

The team said they focused on parrots because they are very intelligent, with some species demonstrating cognitive abilities similar to younger elementary school-aged kids, and they have vision that helps them understand screen movements, strong perception, and good vocals.

The researchers hope their findings also shine light on how to bring domesticated parrots more joy. However, they caution that not all calls may be beneficial, as the experienced caregivers involved in this study had time to acquaint the birds with the technology and understand their reactions. Even in this study, the birds were also particular about which of the other parrots they preferred to interact with.

To learn more about the study, click here.