Cakadus conquer Sydney: Clever drinking behavior fascinates researchers!

Cakadus conquer Sydney: Clever drinking behavior fascinates researchers!

Sydney, Australien - In the urban areas of Sydney, the intelligent and adaptable behavior of the yellow hood cacaradus (*Cacatua Galerita*) is shown. Barbara Klump, a renowned researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology, made a remarkable discovery in 2018: For the first time, it was observed that Kakadus was drinking drinking water fountain in western Sydney. This observation led to a comprehensive study that should shed light on the behavior of these birds. Klump and their team use wild cameras on ten different drinking water fountains to document the interaction of the cacadus with these water sources.

The results of the study, which was carried out by Klump together with Richard Major from the Australian Museum and John Martin from the Taronga Conservation Society, are remarkable. On each second water dispenser, “lanes” were found by beaks, which pointed out the use by the birds. During the one half -month observation period, the cameras revealed over 500 tips of the cacadus to drink, which were successful in 40 percent of cases. It was particularly striking that 70 percent of the local cacadupopulation used the water dispensers, and the birds preferred to drink in the morning and evening, as the fountains were near their sleeping places.

social learning and regional cultures

The study not only shows the drinking behavior of the cacadus, but also indicates a decisive characteristic of its behavior: the use of the drinking water fountain could have been widespread before the examination. Similar to the opening of garbage cans for food procurement, which was also documented in Sydney, the cacadus learn these behaviors through social learning. This learning is crucial for the development of regional cultures that differ depending on the area. For example, researchers observed that various techniques were created when opening garbage cans in neighboring districts, which indicates an adaptation and transfer of knowledge within the cockatupupopulation.

The research demonstrates the adaptability of these birds to urban habitats, which also leads to a competition between Kakadus and humans. People tries to drive the birds away with snake dummies or to complain with stones, but without greater success. This illustrates the intelligence and persistence of the cacadus, which not only establish itself as a food procurement, but also as important actors in their urban living space.

The importance of cultural learning in animals

Barbara Klump emphasizes the important role of social learning for the development of animal cultures. The behavior of the yellow hood cacadus demonstrates how quickly innovations can spread. While only a few areas documented the opening of garbage cans in a first observation in 2018, this behavior spread to 44 areas in the Sydney area until the end of 2019. This is not only shown in the frequency, but also in the technology that the birds use when opening the tons, as well as lifting lids on the handle and holding with beak or foot.

These findings, which an international team of researchers led by Klump and Aplin gained, not only contribute to better understanding of social learning in animals, but also shed on the dynamic interactions between wild and urban environments. The cacadus are therefore not only an example of animal intelligence, but also embody the complexity of animal cultures that arise in a changing urban environment.