Beak-to-Beak Communication is Dead

Read on! Beak-to-beak communication may be dead

I mostly remain skeptical about the effectiveness of digital communication. Face-to-face is best. Humans were not not made to talk through screens. It is not natural. Well, apparently parrots enjoy it.

In a recent New York Times article, Emily Anthes describes how scientists successfully taught 18 parrots how to make video calls to other parrots and observed high engagement and interest. The birds enjoyed grooming and singing together video and appeared calmer.

Ethical concerns however were addressed, and the scientists made sure to keep the calls short or to end them in the event that the parrots showed any sign of distress. A wise practice should a colleague seem overzealous or demanding on your next Zoom meeting.

It is a fun read with great photos. Check it out: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/21/science/parrots-video-chat-facetime.html

Photo credit, New York Times, 21 April 2023.