Meet Bruce, the "beak-jousting" parrot

What Happened

Bruce the kea—a species of alpine parrot native to New Zealand—lost his upper beak in an accident as a young bird.

Why It Matters

But that hasn't stopped him from becoming the dominant male in his kea community (known as a "circus") at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.

Key Details

• According to a new paper published in the journal Current Biology, Bruce achieved his alpha status via a unique fighting method, essentially "jousting" with what remains of his beak.
• Researchers already knew Bruce was special.
• In 2021, scientists at the Kea Animal Minds Lab at the University of Auckland studied Bruce and other non-disabled kea and found that Bruce exhibited unusual preening behavior to compensate for his missing upper beak.
• He figured out how to use small pebbles for that purpose, wedging them between his lower jaw and tongue and then rubbing them along his feathers.
• Other non-disabled keas occasionally played with pebbles, too, but they chose larger ones and never used them for preening.
• So Bruce didn't learn this behavior by watching other birds; he figured it out on his own.
• The authors concluded this was evidence of keas' high problem-solving abilities and possibly an example of deliberate tool use.

Timeline

1. Initial update published by source.
2. Key details emerged in follow-up reporting.
3. Further confirmation expected in upcoming official statements.

Background Context

Bruce the kea—a species of alpine parrot native to New Zealand—lost his upper beak in an accident as a young bird. But that hasn't stopped him from becoming the dominant male in his kea community (known as a "circus") at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. According to a new paper published in the journal Current Biology, Bruce achieved his alpha status via a unique fighting method, essentially "jousting" with what remains of his beak. Researchers already knew Bruce was special. In 2021, scientists at the Kea Animal Minds Lab at the University of Auckland studied Bruce and other non-disabled kea and found that Bruce exhibited unusual preening behavior to compensate for his missing upper beak. He figured out how to use small pebbles for that purpose, wedging them between his lower jaw and tongue and then rubbing them along his feathers. Other non-disabled keas occasionally played with pebbles, too, but they chose larger ones and never used them for preening. So Bruce didn't learn this behavior by watching other birds; he figured it out on his own. The authors concluded this was evidence of keas' high problem-solving abilities and possibly an example of deliberate tool use. It's also wh

Quick FAQ

Q: What is the key update?
Bruce the kea—a species of alpine parrot native to New Zealand—lost his upper beak in an accident as a young bird.

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Source: Ars Technica – All content – Original Link

Source: Ars Technica – All content