Scientists Develop 'Animal Internet' with Dog Phones and Parrot Touchscreens
Scientists are developing an 'animal internet' by creating devices like dog phones and touchscreens for parrots to enhance communication and interaction with animals.
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Parrots
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"Eclipse Across America: From Space to Earth, How Totality Transformed Solar Viewing"
Thousands of people across the country gathered to witness the total solar eclipse, experiencing intense emotions as temperatures dropped and the sky darkened. A weather balloon launched in Ontario captured stunning images of the eclipse before landing in New Hampshire. Parrots are being tested for their problem-solving skills, while new research suggests that Ötzi the Iceman's tattoos may have been an ancient form of healing. Antarctica's melting ice due to global warming is causing meteorites to sink, and recent archaeological discoveries include a banquet hall in Pompeii and petroglyphs near dinosaur footprints in Brazil.
"Epic Eclipse Views: Totality Captured Across Continents and Space"
Thousands of people across the country gathered to witness the total solar eclipse, experiencing intense emotions as they observed the celestial spectacle. Parrots are being tested for their problem-solving skills, potentially leading to new tablet designs. Family members of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy continue to carry on the legacy of their loved ones, while NASA has implemented changes to make space exploration safer. New studies suggest that Ötzi the Iceman's tattoos may have been an ancient form of healing, and meteorites found in Antarctica are at risk of vanishing due to global warming.
"Tablet Games Provide Insight into Parrot Behavior"
Researchers at Northeastern University have conducted a study using a simple tablet game to collect data on 20 pet parrots' interactions with touchscreens, aiming to design tech specifically for parrot use. The study revealed insights into parrots' touchscreen tendencies, such as their preference for using their tongues and the need for larger targets. The findings suggest that touchscreens can enrich parrots' lives and may provide valuable guidance for the pet tech industry and wider research community.
"Flock to Fun: The Best Mobile Games for Bird Lovers"
A new study suggests that mobile apps have potential as an enrichment tool for parrots, as some owners have found that they can keep their birds occupied with mobile games designed for young children. However, apps designed for humans may not be ideal for parrots, as they tend to use their tongues to interact with touch screens, resulting in unique touch behaviors. The study highlights the need to tailor technology to the birds' specific biology and needs.
"Understanding Parrot Interaction with Tablet Games"
Researchers are using tablet games to study parrots' interactions with touchscreens, aiming to design tech specifically for them. A study involving 20 pet parrots playing a Balloon Pop-style game on tablets revealed insights into their tactile interactions and preferences, such as using their tongues to tap the screen and benefiting from larger targets. The findings suggest that touchscreens can enrich parrots' lives and enhance their interactions with humans, potentially guiding the development of pet tech products and offering valuable insights to the wider research community and pet owners.
"Parrots Mimic Monkey Swinging with Beakiation"
A study has revealed that rosy-faced lovebirds, a type of parrot, use their beaks to swing and move like monkeys when faced with challenging perches, showcasing their problem-solving abilities and biomechanical prowess. Termed "beakiation," this behavior involves the birds hanging from their beaks and swinging their bodies, similar to primates swinging from tree to tree. Researchers observed that the parrots can hold their entire body weight with their heads, demonstrating remarkable agility and adaptability in their movement.
"Zoo's Group Therapy for Swearing Parrots"
Foul-mouthed parrots at U.K.’s Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, known for their ability to swear, will undergo group therapy by being introduced to a larger group of proper parrots in the hope of curbing their cursing, as experts believe parrots easily mimic swear words due to their tone and context. The park acknowledges the risk of the bad habits rubbing off on the larger group.
"Zoo's Plan to Curb Swearing Parrots Goes Fowl"
Foul-mouthed parrots at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England have become an unexpected attraction, with their profane language both amusing and mortifying staff and visitors. The park is attempting to integrate the parrots into a larger flock in hopes that they will learn nicer sounds and words. Despite warnings posted near their habitat, the parrots' profanity has garnered international media attention and amused the park's staff, who have received messages from relatives abroad about the parrots' viral fame. The park speculates that the parrots' foul language comes from human influence, as the birds can replicate voices exactly.
Zoo's Plan to Curb Swearing Parrots with Enclosure Move
A UK wildlife park is addressing its foul-mouthed parrot problem by grouping eight swearing African Grey parrots with 92 non-swearing birds in an attempt to dilute their cursing. The plan aims to have the non-swearing birds influence the swearing ones to mimic more pleasant sounds. The parrots, known for their intelligence and ability to mimic speech, gained notoriety for their foul language, which they taught each other during quarantine. The park hopes this new strategy will help the parrots kick their bad habit, as signs have been put up to warn visitors about the birds' devious behavior.
"Zoo's Innovative Approach to Curb Swearing Parrots"
A British wildlife park is attempting to rehabilitate its foul-mouthed African gray parrots by integrating them with newly donated cuss-happy birds into the flock, hoping they will pick up "nice noises" from the non-swearing parrots. The park's chief executive noted that the parrots precisely echo the sounds they hear and that the expletives are particularly easy for African grays to mimic. Despite the park's installation of warning signs, there have been no complaints from visitors, and the park is optimistic that the parrots will eventually mend their potty-mouthed ways.
Parrots' Food-dunking Habit Sheds Light on Human Snack Preferences
Goffin's cockatoos, known for their problem-solving skills, have been observed dunking their food, specifically dry toast, into water before eating it. This behavior, documented for the first time in parrots, is seen as an innovation in food preparation. The birds sometimes wait for the toast to soften, displaying impulse control. While the behavior has not been observed in wild cockatoos, researchers are interested in studying whether they would exhibit the same behavior if given the opportunity.
Smuggled Parrot Eggs Discovered at Airport Thanks to Chirping Sounds
A smuggler was caught at Miami International Airport with 29 parrot eggs in a temperature-controlled cooler. Eight of the eggs had already hatched or were in the process of hatching. The surviving 24 parrots, which are critically endangered, were taken in by the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation. The foundation is now faced with the challenge of finding a permanent home for the birds, which can live 60 to 70 years or longer.
Parrots Combat Loneliness Through Video Calls
A study has set up video calls between parrots allowing them to make friends and fulfill their social needs. The first-of-its-kind experiment was carried out over three months and featured 18 birds of various parrot species including African gray parrots, cockatiels, and macaws. The birds were organized into five different groups and were allowed to make calls to other birds in their group, with a maximum of two calls per three-hour session. The caretakers perceived the birds to enjoy the experience of having video calls with other birds, and some reported new behaviors from their pet participants including new flying behavior, calmer behaviors, and new foraging behaviors.
Video calls alleviate loneliness in domesticated parrots, study finds.
Domesticated parrots who were trained to make video calls to other birds exhibited increasingly social behavior, according to a study by animal-computer interaction specialists at the University of Glasgow, Northeastern University, and MIT. The parrots who made the most calls also received the most calls from other parrots, suggesting that the experiment helped the birds be more social. Parrots are known to be highly intelligent animals who live in large flocks in the wild, but in captivity, they suffer from isolation and boredom as they're often kept alone or in small groups.