Parrots can make their own knives and forks

Indonesian cockato parrots use a variety of tools to eat fruits and nuts. Photo: University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Vienna, Austria: The special kind of large parrots or cockatoos found in the forest make special tools from the trunks of trees to eat the fruit. Thus, it is the second most important bird in the world to make its own cutlery set.

Scientists observed two parrots while researching the remote Indonesian island of Tambunar. Experts found that the two successfully used tree stalks to extract nuts from a fruit called sea mango. Parrots of this breed are also found in Puerto Rico and Singapore.

“These parrots are hard to find in the wild,” says Bernica Maydos Zweiska of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. First, they live under a dense canopy of trees and, being shy, run away from humans. These birds are also called goffin cockatoos.

Experts saw a total of 15 birds, two of which were skilled parrots, and were using various tools to eat seafood seeds or nuts. A closer look revealed that the birds had made different tools, which turned out to be three different tools. Experts have called it a bird’s cutlery set.

The parrot took a strong but sticky piece of wood from which he opened the fruit. Now he picked up another sophisticated device, which he used as a spoon, took out the seeds inside and began to eat with pleasure. Parrots make these tools out of tree branches and have to find many branches.

Experts found that the bird used an average of eight tools during a meal because when disabled, it would take another tool out of its cutlery set.

Experts believe that parrots did not inherit the ability to make cutlery, but each parrot has invented its own way, that is, they make tools in terms of fruit. The beaks of these birds are smaller and less powerful due to which they cannot open large and straight fruits and now they are inventing different pots.

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