"How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds " (NYT)

[MommyBird]

An article in the NYT about "How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds"
How people in Australia keep learning ways to protect their garbage from birds and the birds keep figuring it out.
People learn new methods from other people, and cockatoos learn how to overcome them from other birds.
How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds

 

[Wardy]

i cant read the article unless i subscribe

 

[flyzipper]

This behaviour has been discussed before, but here's a recent take on what's going on if you haven't seen it in the past.

Sydney residents in cultural evolution war with bin-raiding cockatoos

Sulphur-crested cockatoos have learned to nudge off bricks weighing down bin lids but humans have struck back to protect their garbage

www.newscientist.com

Originally it was about cockatoos who are learning by observing each other, but the new wrinkle in this update are that humans are capable of that too -- amazing.

Seriously though, I think a reminder/takeaway for those of us with avian companions is leveraging this ability to learn through observation when training. An example might be putting a harness on a bird who voluntarily accepts it while another who is unsure looks on, or the same concept with voluntary nail trimming, etc, etc. This aligns with the classic training method of showing that a new food is edible by taking a bite ourselves.

What else can be taught through demonstration?

 

[Icey]

Bathing, preening.

 

[MommyBird]

i cant read the article unless i subscribe

Just chatting with NYT on this. Things have changed slightly since I bought my subscription.
They are asking you to sign up for a FREE subscription which has a limited, variable number of articles you can access per month. If you pay, then you can access unlimited articles.

 

[Wardy]

Just chatting with NYT on this. Things have changed slightly since I bought my subscription.
They are asking you to sign up for a FREE subscription which has a limited, variable number of articles you can access per month. If you pay, then you can access unlimited articles.

Thanks for that

 

[Wardy]

Foraging can be demonstrated by another bird or the human.

 

[MommyBird]

just saw @flyzipper posted another source for the story
Sydney residents in cultural evolution war with bin-raiding cockatoos (observational learning)

 

[flyzipper]

Oops, sorry for the double post!

Perhaps an admin will merge them.

 

[flyzipper]

I mistakenly duplicated this earlier post which references a different source...

"How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds " (NYT)

An article in the NYT about "How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds" How people in Australia keep learning ways to protect their garbage from birds and the birds keep figuring it out. People learn new methods from other people, and cockatoos learn how to overcome them from other birds...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Xoetix]

I'm sure this is a pain in the rump for the residents, but I can't deny I'm getting a giggle out of this My mom had a battle with crows a few years ago, and it was amazing to watch them learn how to defy her attempts of keeping them out of... anything, really. When the world succumbs to animals, it will be because birds are the new overlords!

 

[Zara]

@flyzipper I have merged your thread into this one as per your request. It may read a little strange up until this point.

 

[Wardy]

@Shezbug are 2's seen as pests in Australia

 

[Shezbug]

@Shezbug are 2's seen as pests in Australia

In many areas yes. They are culled in certain areas when their numbers get too big, they are very very destructive.

 

[flyzipper]

It may read a little strange up until this point.

I think many of my posts run that risk.

 

[Winn]

I had seen this article! I told my roommate the toos' wily ways remind me of the racoons we have here.