Zoom, Skype, and Facetime Break into the Macaw Market

By Keira Ha Current Events

It turns out Zoom, Skype, and other similar platforms are not only used by humans— parrots are also capable of calling each other online.

In a study organized by MIT, Northeastern University, and the University of Glasgow, 18 parrots video called other parrots, resulting in positive impacts on the animals [1]. According to Good News Network, parrots were trained to “initiate video calls with other parrots by instructing them to ring a bell, and then touch the picture of another parrot on a tablet screen to start the call.”

The researchers conducted this study to test birds’ ability to foster meaningful interactions through video calls. Though seemingly harmless, researchers were concerned about introducing parrots to technology due to potential risks: aggressive behaviour in the parrots or causing damage to technology used for the calls. Each parrot was allowed a maximum of five minutes to call their fellow parrots. During the first phase of the study, parrots initiated 212 calls. In the second phase, during which parrots selected the parrot they wished to call, three parrots dropped out, leaving 15 participants. The parrots went on to make 147 video calls over the following two months.

Parrot video calling showed promise, as it replicated behaviours of being in a flock. The birds seemed to “understand that a real fellow parrot was on the other end,” and formed friendships with each other. In fact, some of them even began asking their caretakers to call their fellow bird friends so they could “meet up”.

Most notably, two senior macaws adopted phrases from each other, such as “hello” and “come here.” Other birds mirrored their peers from the screen as well, successfully learning new tricks like foraging and flying. One parrot even happily showed its toys to the parrot on the other side of the screen. Several relationships between parrots remained strong even a year after the experiment ended.

Overall, the experiment was a large success, with many parrots demonstrating social behaviours seen in natural flocks. What will come next? Perhaps parrot text-to-speech texting? Or maybe multi-parrot video calls? These highly intelligent creatures keep surprising us with their hidden potential. With some training and technology, perhaps parrot video calling could evolve into a form of therapy for humans and other animals.

1. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/parrots-kept-as-pets-were-taught-to-video-call-each-other-and-they-loved-it/