Can technology ease the emotional burden of captivity? A new study suggests it just might for parrots. Scientists from Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and MIT designed a video calling system for parrots to “chat” with other parrots via smartphones and tablets. Over time, the birds developed a preference for specific companions, repeatedly dialing their chosen feathered friends.
The United States is home to 20 million pet birds, and scientists are trying to find a way to help them connect from afar. Video calling opens up a new realm of interaction for these intelligent creatures, bridging distances and reducing social isolation in a way that was previously unimaginable.
Parrots are highly sociable creatures, flocking together in their natural habitats in groups of anywhere between a few to several hundred birds. However, these birds are typically kept as solo pets in households or other forms of captivity. Due to their high intelligence, parrots can become distressed and even pluck their feathers if they’re not provided with adequate attention and mental stimulation.
The 15 volunteers who completed the experiment were recruited from Parrot Kindergarten—a training platform that helps owners deepen their relationship with their birds and “better meet their needs for mental enrichment and challenge.”
Parrot owners spent the first two weeks of the study training their birds to ring a bell and touch the image of another parrot displayed on a tablet screen to initiate a video call. There were a total of 212 video calls placed by parrots. The owners then turned off the calls after five minutes or once their parrots lost interest.
Phase two of the experiment involved an “open call” period during which the participating parrots could call any other parrot in the study at any time. In total, the parrots made 147 calls to other birds, providing over 1,000 hours of footage for researchers to analyze and study.
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The study’s authors, Rébecca Kleinberger, an assistant professor at Northeastern University; Jennifer Cunha, a parrot behaviorist and researcher at Northeastern; and Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, an assistant professor at the University of Glasgow, reported that the parrots usually stayed on their calls for the maximum time they were permitted. The birds also appeared to understand that there was a real “fellow bird” on the other side of the screen.
Some parrots even taught their companions new skills, such as flying, foraging and different vocalizations. “She came alive during the calls,” one pet parent said about their bird.
“I was quite surprised at the range of different behaviors,” Hirskyj-Douglas told the Guardian.
“Some would sing, some would play around and go upside down, others would want to show another bird their toys.”
The birds also formed clear preferences. Cunha’s Goffin’s cockatoo named Ellie became friends with an African Grey parrot named Cookie. “It’s been over a year, and they still talk,” Cunha told Northeastern Global News. They seemed to be making vocalizations that mirror “Hello, I’m here” in parrot-speak.
The birds formed lasting bonds, as measured by the frequency with which a bird chose to call another bird. The most socially active parrots, who initiated the most calls, also received the most calls, pointing to a “reciprocal dynamic similar to human socialization.”
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Some parrots were even reported to have developed attachments to the human caretakers of their virtual friends.
Despite the promising results, the authors caution parrot owners against launching impromptu FaceTime chats on their birds’ behalf. In the study, experts monitored the parrots they were working with, ending calls at the first sign of stress, aggression, disinterest, or discomfort. Researchers warn that “unmediated interactions could lead to fear, even violence, and property damage.”
“We were really careful about training the birds’ caregivers thoroughly to ensure that they could offer an appropriate level of support to empower their parrots but also help them avoid any negative experiences. As soon as the birds showed any signs of distraction or discomfort, the calls were stopped.”
Kleinberger notes how parrots were only recently domesticated for a generation or two, unlike dogs, cats, and horses. “We’re not saying you can make them as happy as they would be in the wild,” she says. “We’re trying to serve those who are already [in captivity].”
Many parrots can’t be physically close to other birds for a variety of reasons. For example, certain captive breeds are prone to disease. Despite having hardly ever seen another macaw in their lives, two ailing, elderly male macaws that were brought together in the study developed a strong attachment, dancing and singing energetically through the screen and exclaiming, “Hi! Come here! Hello!” anytime one of them left the frame of the video.
Their brains are still wired for wild social structures, and as the research shows, parrots don’t easily outgrow the need for connection. Speaking about Cookie and Ellie, Hirskyj-Douglas says she found their bond particularly moving. Their ongoing friendship stands as a testament to the emotional lives of animals and to the possibilities of technology that connects rather than isolates. Turns out, birds of a feather really do FaceTime together.
“It really speaks to how cognitively complex these birds are and how much ability they have to express themselves. It was really beautiful, those two birds, for me.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
