Goffin's Cockatoos Research Articles

Mechanical Problem Solving in Goffin's Cockatoos-Towards Modeling Complex Behavior.

Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) can solve a diverse set of mechanical problems, such as tool use, tool manufacture, and mechanical puzzles. However, the proximate mechanisms underlying this adaptive behavior are largely unknown. Similarly, engineering artificial agents that can as flexibly solve such mechanical puzzles is still a substantial challenge in areas such as robotics. This article is an interdisciplinary approach to study mechanical problem solving which we hope is relevant to both fields. The behavior we are studying results from the interaction between a complex environment (the lockbox) and different processes that govern the animals' behavior. We therefore jointly analyze the parrots' (1) engagement, (2) sensorimotor skill learning, and (3) action selection. We find that none of these aspects could solely explain the animals' behavioral adaptation and that a plausible model of proximate mechanisms must jointly address these aspects. We accompany this analysis with a discussion of methods to identify such mechanisms. At the same time, we argue, it is implausible to identify a detailed model from the limited behavioral data of just a few studies. Instead, we advocate for an incremental approach to model building in which one first establishes constraints on proximate mechanisms before specific, detailed models are formulated. To illustrate this idea, we apply it to the data presented here. We argue that as the field attempts to find mechanistic explanations for increasingly complex behaviors, such alternative modeling approaches will be necessary.

HABITAT DAN PERILAKU SOSIAL BURUNG KAKATUA TANIMBAR (Cacatua goffiniana) DI DESA LORULUN KECAMATAN WERTAMRIAN KABUPATEN KEPULAUAN TANIMBAR

This research aims to determine the habitat conditions and behavior of the Cacatua goffiniana in Lorulun Village, Tanimbar Islands Regency. The method used for vegetation community data is a combination of the path method and plotted lines at 4 growth levels including seedlings, saplings, poles and trees, there are 15 paths with 75 plots in 3 observation blocks. Determining the location for observing the behavior of the Tanimbar Cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) was carried out using the concentrated point method and also the All Occurrences method. The research results show that the main habitat of the Tanimbar Cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) is primary and secondary tropical forests which have the availability of tall trees for nests and food sources. This bird is also found in plantations and forest edge areas, showing adaptability to habitat changes. The social behavior of Tanimbar cockatoos is very complex, showing a high level of intelligence, often seen in activities in small groups of 5-10 individuals. Social interactions between these individuals include various behaviors such as coordinating vocalization behavior, vocalization behavior feeling threatened, aggressive agonistic behavior, submissive agonistic behavior, affiliative behavior of feather probing, affiliative behavior of mutual probing, affiliative behavior of playing, affiliative behavior of perching. This research also notes the existence of a strong territorial behavior pattern, groups of Tanimbar parrots will defend their territory from other groups when food sources are abundant, these territorial boundaries become more flexible.

Hooded crows (Corvus cornix) manufacture objects relative to a mental template

It was recently found that not only tool-specialized New Caledonian crows, but also Goffin cockatoos can manufacture physical objects in accordance with a mental template. That is, they can emulate features of existing objects when they manufacture new items. Both species spontaneously ripped pieces of card into large strips if they had previously learned that a large template was rewarded, and small strips when they previously learned that a small template was rewarded. Among New Caledonian crows, this cognitive ability was suggested as a potential mechanism underlying the transmission of natural tool designs. Here, we tested for the same ability in another non-specialised tool user–Hooded crows (Corvus cornix). Crows were exposed to pre-made template objects, varying first in colour and then in size, and were rewarded only if they chose pre-made objects that matched the template. In subsequent tests, birds were given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects. All three crows ripped paper pieces from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and, crucially, also manufactured objects that were more similar in size to previously rewarded, than unrewarded, templates, despite the birds being rewarded at random in both tests. Therefore, we found the ability to manufacture physical objects relative to a mental template in yet another bird species not specialized in using or making foraging tools in the wild, but with a high level of brain and cognitive development.

The effect of four different object properties on latency to approach in Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana).

Neophobia and neophilia can be lifesaving as they can facilitate foraging while avoiding predation or intoxication. We investigated the extent to which Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) exhibit ecollogically relevant and quantifiable neophobic responses toward specific object properties. Twelve cockatoos were presented with 12 novel objects grouped into four distinct categories with unique features: size, color, reflective capacity, and shape. The cockatoos were tested by measuring their latency to approach a high-quality food reward for both novel and control scenarios. Age and sex did not affect the latency to approach food in the presence of a novel object in this species. Additionally, we found no significant differences between the objects of the reflective and color categories. This result is likely due to the plasticity of neophobic behavior related to the benefits and costs of approaching novel stimuli. The cockatoos were significantly slower to approach food in the presence of objects larger than their body size than objects of a similar or smaller size, a phenomenon possibly explained by the increased risk of approaching unknown objects large enough to be a potential predator. They were also significantly more hesitant to approach food in the presence of elongated objects, a phenomenon potentially explained by an ecologically relevant avoidance of snakes. The extent of this neophobia was statistically similar at a group level, indicating that avoidance of elongated and large objects could be an adaptive response aiding survival under natural circumstances and that snakes may impose strong selective pressures on this species. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A novel feeding platform design for behavioral research on wild Tanimbar corellas (Cacatua goffiniana)

The study of animal behaviour and cognition would not be complete without investigations of wild, free-ranging individuals in their natural environment. However, direct observations of species living in dense habitats can be challenging, leading many studies to focus on attracting target species to pre-selected, monitored locations baited with food. So far, researchers have rarely applied this approach to studying wild psittacines – an avian group of high scientific interest due to their advanced cognitive skills and conservation threats. We developed hoistable feeding platforms and tested their suitability for reliably attracting groups of wild Tanimbar corellas (hereafter: Goffins), opportunistic feeding generalists well-known for their advanced cognitive skills. To this end, we recorded the visitation rates of free-ranging groups at feeding platforms temporarily baited with dry corn. Moreover, we investigated the effects of several weather-related measures, the temporal distribution of foraging activity, and the effect of conspecific contact calls (playback stimulus). The results indicate that Goffins accepted the feeding platforms and reliably aggregated within their natural daily foraging bouts. While group size during visitation bouts depended on rainfall and resource abundance, platforms were still regularly visited by fewer, possibly locally residing individuals. These results provide the first systematic investigation of the temporal distribution and social dynamics of foraging bouts in wild Goffins. This study presents a novel method for reliably attracting wild opportunistic feeding generalist psittacines to a standardised, monitored location. It provides a suitable approach for observing foraging aggregations and, in the future, testing the problem-solving abilities of free-ranging Goffins in their natural habitat.

Dunking rusk: innovative food soaking behaviour in Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana).

Foraging innovations in animals involving the processing of resources that are already edible in an unprocessed state, yet of improved quality in a processed state, are rare but important to study the evolution of food preparation. Here, we present the first scientific report of food dunking behaviours in parrots by Goffin's cockatoos, a model species for innovative problem solving. Observations during lunch showed seven out of 18 cockatoos placing their food into water and soaking it prior to consumption. This was largely done with dry rusk which was eaten almost exclusively when dunked. Furthermore, their transport effort and waiting times before retrieving food from the water indicate their willingness to invest considerable time to prepare a soaked rusk piece of a higher texture quality. Our present results suggest that the function of this behaviour is to soak the food. Because only some individuals dunked food and dunking has not been observed in the wild, we believe this to be a spontaneous foraging innovation either by one or multiple individuals.

Dynamic object–fruit combinations by introduced Tanimbar corellas (Cacatua goffiniana) in Singapore

Abstract Tanimbar corellas, an important model in comparative cognition research, are endemic to the Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia, but were also introduced to several other locations with a tropical climate. Introduced psittacines offer valuable opportunities to test hypotheses at large temporal and spatial scales, such as geographic distribution of behaviours. Here, we report two opportunistic observations of Tanimbar corellas combining small wooden fragments with two types of tropical fruit (Ketapang and Pong-pong) in Singapore. The observations were recorded and uploaded to YouTube by a local bird-watcher. We analyse the behavioural similarities and differences between object combinations with the Pong-pong fruit in Singapore and extractive tool use on the Wawai fruit in Indonesia. Repeated insertions of the wooden fragment into the fruit and visible ingestion suggest that the combinatory behaviours were most likely related to foraging. This report provides first insights into the presence of advanced technical abilities in geographically separated Tanimbar corellas.

Flexible tool set transport in Goffin’s cockatoos

The use of tool sets constitutes one of the most elaborate examples of animal technology, and reports of it in nature are limited to chimpanzees and Goffin's cockatoos. Although tool set use in Goffin's was only recently discovered, we know that chimpanzees flexibly transport tool sets, depending on their need. Flexible tool set transport can be considered full evidence for identification of a genuine tool set, as the selection of the second tool is not just a response to the outcomes of the use of the first tool but implies recognizing the need for both tools before using any of them (thus, categorizing both tools together as a tool set). In three controlled experiments, we tested captive Goffin's in tasks inspired by the termite fishing of Goualougo Triangle's chimpanzees. Thereby, we show that some Goffin's can innovate the use and flexibly use and transport a new tool set for immediate future use; therefore, their sequential tool use is more than the sum of its parts. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Cover Image

EthologyVolume 129, Issue 3 p. i-i COVER IMAGEFree Access Cover Image First published: 03 February 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13292AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Graphical Abstract Front Cover Adult male Goffin's cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) on a posture display. Photograph by Bene Croy. Volume129, Issue3March 2023Pages i-i RelatedInformation

Ratcheting up tool innovation in Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana): The effect of contextually diverse prior experience.

The ability to gain information from one situation, acquire new skills and/or perfect existing ones, and subsequently apply them to a new situation is a key element in behavioural flexibility and a hallmark of innovation. A flexible agent is expected to store these skills and apply them to contexts different from that in which learning occurred. Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) are highly innovative parrots renowned for their problem-solving and tool-using skills and are thus excellent candidates to study this phenomenon. We hypothesized that birds allowed to use a tool in a larger variety of contingencies would acquire a broader expertise in handling it, facilitating its transfer to new tasks. In our study, we compared the performance of two groups of captive Goffin's cockatoos (N=13): A test group received more diverse learning and motor experiences on multiple applications of a hook-type tool, while a control group received intensive, total trial-matched, experience with a single application of the same tool. Then, both groups were tested on two novel tasks to determine whether experience with the tool in multiple contexts would facilitate performance during transfer. While both groups transferred to both novel tasks, group differences in performance were apparent, particularly in the second transfer task, where test birds achieved a higher success rate and reached criteria within fewer trials than control birds. These results provide support for the prediction that experiencing a diverse range of contingencies with a tool appears to allow birds to acquire generalizable knowledge and transferrable skills to tackle an untrained problem more efficiently. In contrast, intensive experience with the tool in a single context might have made control birds less flexible and more fixated on previously learned tool-dependent instances.

Implications of wild cockatoos manufacturing and using tools.

O'Hara et al. (Current Biology, 31, 4512-4520, 2021) show that wild Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) exhibit tool-related abilities at levels previously demonstrated by nonhuman primates or, in birds, only by those raised in captivity. Their data provide information about the cognitive and ecological underpinnings of this behavior and provide the impetus to search for additional examples of convergent evolution in avian and mammalian lines.

Land Cover Analysis and Habitat Identification of Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua Goffiniana) on Tanimbar Islands, Maluku

The Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffiniana) is a protected bird species endemic to the Tanimbar Islands (Yamdena and its satellite islands) in the Maluku province of Indonesia. The major threats identified to this species are hunting, illegal trade, and habitat loss. Therefore, this study aims to classify the land cover, distribution, and habitat types occupied by C. goffiniana on the Tanimbar Islands. Classification of land cover was analyzed using a supervised classification method of the Erdas Imagine 2014 software. Direct field observations were conducted to identify the distribution of Tanimbar Corella and its habitat use. The land cover was classified into six classes: forest (54.26 %), open area (20.76%), plantation (14.81%), mangrove (6.89%), settlement (1.85%), and wetland (1.43%). C. goffiniana is distributed on five islands, Yamdena, Selaru, Larat, Sera, and Molu. Furthermore, this species was observed in forest, plantation, and open land habitats. The results identified seventeen nest trees of six species: Canarium Indicum, Pometia pinnata, Instia bijuga, Sterculita foetida, Maranther corymbosa, and Alstonia scholaris, with a range diameter of 40.00-136.71 cm and nest cavity heights of 9.00-34.22 m (n = 17). This research brings new data in three areas: 1) a reassessment of the distribution of C. goffiniana on the Tanimbar Islands; 2) a detailed classification of the land cover concerning habitat types of the Tanimbar Islands; 3) an identification of the tree species utilized by nesting Tanimbar Corellas. Information on preferred habitats and nesting trees is crucial for selecting release sites of confiscated birds to ensure post-release survival.

Cockatoos know a thing or two about weight

Goffin's cockatoos – or blushing cockatoos as they are also known because of the salmon-pink coloured feathers between their eyes and beak – are not only adorable, but also smart. A casual YouTube search will soon convince you of their shrewdness. And these blushing beauties are excellent problem solvers. They can make and use tools from different materials, such as sticks and cardboard, to extract food from boxes in the lab. Assessing the weight of objects is also a critical skill displayed by these wise creatures: gauging the mass of a nut may help them to infer its nutritional value or decide whether they are strong enough to carry it, and determining the weight of an object such as a stick, could help them to optimise how they use it as a tool. But can cockatoos tell the difference between objects that appear to be identical, but are of different weights? Poppy Lambert, Alexandra Stiegler and colleagues from the Messerli Research Institute and the University of Vienna, Austria decided to find out. They predicted that the cockatoos might be able to distinguish visually identical objects that differ in weight.To test this, the researchers first let eight cockatoos use their beaks to pick up and assess the weight of purple and blue coloured spheres made of modelling clay wrapped around a fishing weight or a cotton ball and, when an experimenter instructed, they had to place each sphere in a transparent dish to receive a sunflower seed reward. Then the researchers trained them to distinguish between the clay spheres by picking up the heavier (or the lighter) of the two and placing it in a black dish, in return for a cashew nut reward and some verbal praise. After that, the team made the task more difficult, by making both spheres grey and thus visually identical. If the birds could genuinely tell the clay spheres apart by weight alone, then they wouldn't find it difficult to still pick out the heavier of the two grey spheres.As the researchers predicted, the cockatoos correctly picked out the heavier of the two clay spheres with their beaks and placed them in a box that an experimenter presented, irrespective of whether the spheres differed in colour. If a cockatoo chose wrongly, the experimenter said, ‘nein’ (no) and the bird had to wait for 30 seconds before attempting another trial. Remarkably, the cockatoos could learn to differentiate objects based on weight after only 60 trials, faster than primates, which can take around 895 trials to learn a similar task. This is probably because birds need to be more sensitive to weight; flight is an energy-demanding task and so the animals need to be sure whether they have enough power to take off with a heavy burden.Thanks to Lambert, Stiegler and colleagues, cockatoos now join the ranks of animals, including monkeys and chimpanzees, that can learn to discriminate quickly between visually identical objects based on weight alone; and they do so despite their dramatically different lifestyles. The research highlights that the phrase ‘birdbrained’ is not as insulting as some people might think.

Goffin's cockatoos discriminate objects based on weight alone.

Paying attention to weight is important when deciding upon an object's efficacy or value in various contexts (e.g. tool use, foraging). Proprioceptive discrimination learning, with objects that differ only in weight, has so far been investigated almost exclusively in primate species. Here, we show that while Goffin's cockatoos learn faster when additional colour cues are used, they can also quickly learn to discriminate between objects on the basis of their weight alone. Ultimately, the birds learned to discriminate between visually identical objects on the basis of weight much faster than primates, although methodological differences between tasks should be considered.

Wild Goffin’s cockatoos flexibly manufacture and use tool sets

The use of different tools to achieve a single goal is considered unique to human and primate technology. To unravel the origins of such complex behaviors, it is crucial to investigate tool use that is not necessary for a species' survival. These cases can be assumed to have emerged innovatively and be applied flexibly, thus emphasizing creativity and intelligence. However, it is intrinsically challenging to record tool innovations in natural settings that do not occur species-wide. Here, we report the discovery of two distinct tool manufacture methods and the use of tool sets in wild Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana). Up to three types of wooden tools, differing in their physical properties and each serving a different function, were manufactured and employed to extract embedded seed matter of Cerbera manghas. While Goffin's cockatoos do not depend on tool-obtained resources, repeated observations of two temporarily captive wild birds and indications from free-ranging individuals suggest this behavior occurs in the wild, albeit not species-wide. The use of a tool set in a non-primate implies convergent evolution of advanced tool use. Furthermore, these observations demonstrate how a species without hands can achieve dexterity in a high-precision task. The presence of flexible use and manufacture of tool sets in animals distantly related to humans significantly diversifies the phylogenetic landscape of technology and opens multiple avenues for future research. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Goffin's Cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) Can Solve a Novel Problem After Conflicting Past Experiences.

Novel problems often partially overlap with familiar ones. Some features match the qualities of previous situations stored in long-term memory and therefore trigger their retrieval. Using relevant, while inhibiting irrelevant, memories to solve novel problems is a hallmark of behavioral flexibility in humans and has recently been demonstrated in great apes. This capacity has been proposed to promote technical innovativeness and thus warrants investigations of such a mechanism in other innovative species. Here, we show that proficient tool—users among Goffin's cockatoos—an innovative tool—using species—could use a relevant previous experience to solve a novel, partially overlapping problem, even despite a conflicting, potentially misleading, experience. This suggests that selecting relevant experiences over irrelevant experiences guides problem solving at least in some Goffin's cockatoos. Our result supports the hypothesis that flexible memory functions may promote technical innovations.

Molecular Bird Sexing of Tanimbar Cockatoos (<i>Cacatua goffiniana</i>) by Using Polymerase Chain Reaction Method

This study aimed to determine the sex of Tanimbar Cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) birds by amplifying Chromodomain Helicase DNA-binding-1 (CHD-1) gene on Z and W sex chromosomes as well as to compare the quality of DNA extraction and PCR amplification products from samples derived from peripheral blood and plucked feathers. This work used five C. goffiniana birds which were collected from the Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) in Pengasih, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta. From each C. goffiniana, feather samples were collected by plucking feathers on the ventral wing and peripheral blood samples were taken by cutting their nails and collecting the blood into microhematocrit tubes containing heparin. The next stage was DNA extraction and DNA amplification on the CHD-1 gene using the PCR method by NP, P2, and MP primer pairs. Then, products of DNA extraction and PCR amplification were electrophoresed on 1.5% agarose gel and visualized under a UV light transilluminator with a wavelength of 260 nm. The visualization showed that samples from peripheral blood generated clearer DNA fragments compared to plucked feathers. Two of the five samples were male C. goffiniana and the other three samples were females. In the male Tanimbar Cockatoo was amplified a single DNA fragment of the Z sex chromosome in size of 300 bp, whereas in the female C. goffiniana was amplified double DNA fragments of Z and W sex chromosomes in size of 300 bp and 400 bp respectively. The DNA quality showed that the DNA quality from peripheral blood samples were better in quality than the DNA collected from plucked feather samples.

Implementation of species protection act for the conservation of Tanimbar corella, Cacatua goffiniana (Roselaar & Michels, 2004)

Abstract. Haryoko T, O’Hara M, Mioduszewska B, Sutrisno H, Prasetyo LB, Mardiastuti A. 2021. Implementation of species protection act for the conservation of Tanimbar corella, Cacatua goffiniana (Roselaar & Michels, 2004). Biodiversitas 22: 1733-1740. Birds are among the most favored pet animals and are nurtured because of their melodious voice, intelligence, and beautiful feathers. Therefore, these animals are usually traded in both local and international markets. Wild bird trades are dominated by species from the order Passeriformes/songbirds and Psittaciformes/parrots. Furthermore, one of the Psittaciformes groups that are in high demand as a pet is the cockatoos. The Goffin’s cockatoo or Tanimbar corella/Cacatua goffiniana (Roselaar & Michels,2004)is one of seven species of parrots native to Indonesia and has been traded for decades. This endemic bird from the Tanimbar Islands (Maluku Province) has been protected by the Indonesian government since 1990 and has been on the CITES Appendix I since 1992. Therefore, this study aims to review the harvesting of C. goffiniana and the effect the bird's protection status has on its trade. It was conducted by investigating the legal trade data for 1981-2018, information on illegal trade, and ex-situ conservation of this species. The review on the trade of C. goffiniana was assessed using descriptive analysis. Furthermore, Independent Samples T-Test was used to determine the differences between the number of C. goffiniana traded before and after the bird was listed in Appendix I CITES and protected by Indonesia's law. The results showed that the number of exported Cacatua goffiniana for 38 years to 34 countries was 151,684. Furthermore, the United States of America was the largest importer with a total of 118,356/78.03%. It was discovered that the number of birds legally exported by Indonesia has decreased dramatically since 1990 because these animals are protected by Indonesian law. Consequently, there was a significant difference between the number traded before and after their designation as protected species. The nonparametric correlation between protection status and Appendix I CITES listing to the number of these animals traded was statistically significant. Finally, existing conservation practices involve efforts to restock the population by means of captive breeding programs. However, as conservation agencies have shown little success in breeding these species, the efforts are not sufficient to fulfill the demand. Therefore, illegal trade is still a major threat to the natural populations.

Does captivity alter problem-solving behavior in Goffin's cockatoos?

Researchers often argue for the existence of "captivity bias": a higher success rate that may be observed for nonhumans tested in captivity compared to those tested in nature, purportedly because the former have certain advantages that the latter lack. Rössler et al. (Scientific Reports 10, 8681, 2020) find that, at least for Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana), differences exist in motivation, not in problem-solving ability.

Object manufacture based on a memorized template: Goffin\u2019s cockatoos attend to different model features

Although several nonhuman animals have the ability to recognize and match templates in computerized tasks, we know little about their ability to recall and then physically manufacture specific features of mental templates. Across three experiments, Goffin cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana), a species that can use tools in captivity, were exposed to two pre-made template objects, varying in either colour, size (long or short) or shape (I or L-shaped), where only one template was rewarded. Birds were then given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects themselves. We found that all birds carved paper strips from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and half were also able to match the size of a template (long and short). This occurred despite the template being absent at test and birds being rewarded at random. However, we found no evidence that cockatoos could carve L-shaped pieces after learning that L-shaped templates were rewarded, though their manufactured strips were wider than in previous tests. Overall, our results show that Goffin cockatoos possess the ability to physically adjust at least the size dimension of manufactured objects relative to a mental template. This ability has previously only been shown in New Caledonian crows, where template matching was suggested as a potential mechanism allowing for the cumulative cultural transmission of tool designs. Our results show that within avian tool users, the ability to recreate a physical template from memory does not seem to be restricted to species that have cumulative tool cultures.