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Parrots are smart, and some species have been found to have the problem-solving skills of a young child. So, if young children can use technology to some extent, why can’t parrots?
Aiming to answer why parrots should use technology for cognitive enrichment, researchers set out to answer how tablets could be improved to be best used by smart birds, according to a recent study conducted in March.
Researchers who designed a balloon-popping tablet game and collected data from 20 pet parrots found that the birds’ interest in the game suggests mental stimulation could be a potential benefit. However, the creatures’ anatomy hindered interaction with the screens. Each parrot popped virtual balloons using its tongue and beak, with its eyes often very close to the screen. As a result, the bird would have to turn its head or retreat to find the next target.
The findings provide a framework researchers can use to design bird-friendly tablets, according to the study, which was peer-reviewed ahead of a May presentation at the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) CHI conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems. lead author Rébecca Kleinberger said:
“Many animals in managed care, in zoos, in homes, interact with technology on a daily basis. They see the screens we use. Sometimes they use some as toys.” “But little research has been done on how technology impacts animals’ experiences and how we could potentially create better technologies for animal enrichment,” said Kleinberger, an assistant professor of human sciences and audio technology at Northeastern University in Boston.
Kleinberger is principal investigator of the INTERACT Animal Lab, a team of researchers studying how technology can enrich the lives of dogs, orcas and birds, according to a news release from Northeastern University. The team published a 2023 study that found that a group of parrots enjoyed video calling with their other feathered friends.
According to Irene Pepperberg, an assistant research professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University who specializes in gray parrots, incorporating tablets into the parrot’s schedule, as long as a caregiver is available, can help the intelligent creature get more stimulation.
“(Wild parrots) spend their days cracking nuts, extracting juice from tree bark, and interacting with any other birds in the flock. … They have very exciting days filled with a lot of different things,” said Pepperberg, who was not involved in the new study. “And what we want to do is bring some kind of enrichment to birds in captivity.”
Tablets designed with parrots in mind
Seventeen birds completed the study, which involved interacting with a touch screen for up to 30 minutes a day for three months. While two birds showed no interest in the tablet and left the tablet, one bird showed signs of stress and anxiety. Keepers recorded their parrots at home, keeping them on a familiar schedule. Kleinberger said human study participants also play a role in praising their creatures and encouraging them to stay busy.
While some parrots were sensitive when touching a target on the screen, others appeared to be more involved in interacting with their caregivers.
“(The games) are not meant to be used to get the bird to do it alone (on its own), but are actually made with consideration in the social context of their current interactions with their caregivers and how the system can also help strengthen the bond. between humans and animals,” Kleinberger said.
One way to improve tablet designs for birds is to use the on-device camera to better understand where the bird is and adjust accordingly, or to redesign the layout of the game to take into account the parrot’s proximity to the screen so the bird can move freely. They see the targets better, Kleinberger said. Another improvement the researchers identified solved the problem of birds hitting a target multiple times too quickly and seemingly getting frustrated. The researchers added that a bird showed greater interest in playing the game after adjusting the tablets to account for just one touch every 300 milliseconds.
Kurt Sladky, clinical professor of zoological medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, said it’s not surprising that birds can learn to follow a circle on a screen because of their higher intelligence capacity. Sladky was not involved in the new study.
“For whatever reason, we see many birds plucking their feathers out of boredom or sexual frustration. … I think I can see (playing games) being useful to avoid some of that boredom; they love sounds, they love music, they love watching things,” said Sladky, whose furry patients are interested in watching YouTube videos. other birds.
Mobile games for parrot enrichment
If a parrot owner is considering adding tablets to their pet’s schedule, it’s important to remember that this activity needs to be collaborative between the owner and the bird, Pepperberg said. “But if you leave it in the cage, for the birds it’s like leaving your little kids a tablet all day.”
He added that each bird will have individual likes and dislikes, and that it will prefer one game and not the other. Pet owners should monitor their birds for signs of aggression and irritability while using the tablets, as well as keep their birds on a schedule and not allow them to play with the tablets for long periods of time.
“When we look at how technology has changed human lives for good and bad, we see how much our lives have changed in the last 100 years,” said Kleinberger. “Most of our research looks at providing (with technology) ethical, sustainable and meaningful wealth for animals designed for their own well-being, rather than systems used to reduce the interaction we as humans need to provide them with.” ”
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