Parrots are social creatures by nature. In captivity, where they typically don't have a flock to interact with, that can present some real challenges in keeping them happy and healthy. But recent research suggests that technology can help them meet more social needs. TO led by researchers from University of Glasgow and Northeastern University compared parrots' responses when given the option to video chat with other birds via Meta's Messenger versus watching pre-recorded videos. And they seem to have a preference for real-time conversations.
The research is based on findings from a series of small studies conducted in recent years, including one in which the team trained pet parrots to make video calls with each other (with human assistance) and another in which they were taught to play tablet games. In the latest case, nine parrot owners were given tablets to prepare for their pets, who were then observed over a six-month period. During that time, the parrots, who had initially introduced themselves via video chat, were able to make calls with each other lasting up to three hours in a total of 12 sessions. Half of these sessions included pre-recorded videos, while the other half were live video chats over Messenger.
Their keepers, who recorded the sessions, reported that the birds seemed more engaged during live interactions. They initiated more calls in those scenarios and, on average, spent more time interacting with the birds on the other end.
In each session, the parrots were allowed to make up to two calls, and the researchers found that those chatting via Messenger reached this limit 46 percent of the time, compared to almost half when watching pre-recorded videos. Overall, they spent a total of 561 minutes video chatting on Messenger compared to just 142 minutes watching the pre-recorded videos.
“The appearance of 'liveliness' really seemed to make a difference in the parrots' interaction with their screens,” said Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, although he points out that more studies will be needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. “Their behavior when interacting with another live bird often reflected behaviors they would have with other parrots in real life, which was not the case in the pre-recorded sessions.” Still, keepers mostly reported that live and prerecorded calls seemed to have a positive impact on the birds.
“The Internet has great potential to give animals the freedom to interact with each other in new ways, but the systems we build to help them do so must be designed based on their specific physical and mental needs and capabilities,” said Dr. Hirskyj. -Douglas. “Studies like this could help lay the foundation for a truly animal-centric Internet.”
