Specialists have made a remarkable discovery, revealing the first documented case of kea parrots utilizing personal grooming tools. They discussed the story of a disabled parrot named Bruce, who was found in the wild by a New Zealand family in 2013. Bruce is missing the upper part of his beak, which prevents him from fully taking care of himself using that part of his body.
However, Bruce has displayed an astonishing ability to adapt to his disability. To groom himself, he has learned to use various tools, particularly pebbles. He holds the pebbles between the lower part of his beak and his tongue, using them to clean his plumage effectively.
Over a span of nine days, scientists closely observed Bruce’s behavior and found compelling evidence that his actions were deliberate. The study revealed that more than 90% of the time, Bruce would use a pebble for grooming purposes. When he dropped a pebble, he would either retrieve it or replace it to continue his beautification routine, doing so 95% of the time.
What makes this even more intriguing is that Bruce selectively chose stones of a specific size for cleaning, rather than using random pebbles available in his environment. None of the other kea parrots in his vicinity were observed using pebbles for personal grooming.
The ability of the parrot to use a personal tool to compensate for his limitations demonstrates the remarkable flexibility of their cognitive abilities. Kea parrots have shown their adaptability in dealing with new challenges, showcasing the impressive range of their problem-solving skills.
