🦜 Australian Cockatoos Learn to Use Drinking Fountains

Sulfur-crested cockatoos in western Sydney have learned to use public drinking fountains, skillfully twisting the handles with their feet and leveraging their bodies to access water. Researchers suggest this behavior is becoming a cultural tradition as it spreads among the local population.

These cockatoos exhibit intelligence on par with chimpanzees or a 1–2-year-old human. Although their brains weigh only about 10.1 grams, they contain roughly the same number of neurons as a 39.2-gram capuchin monkey's brain, and their pallium region holds more neurons than most primates. Their problem-solving, vocal mimicry, and behavioral adaptability reflect this high cognitive capacity.

Read More