Parrots are smart, and some species appear to have the problem-solving skills of a young child. So if little children can use technology somehow, why can't parrots?
Researchers seeking to answer why parrots should use technology for cognitive enrichment sought to answer how tablets could be improved for optimal use by intelligent birds, according to a recent March study.
By designing a tablet game involving balloon poppers and collecting data from twenty parrots, the researchers found that birds' interest in the game indicated that mental stimulation could be a potential benefit. However, the anatomy of the creatures posed an obstacle to interacting with the screens. Each parrot popped virtual balloons using its tongue and beak, often with its eyes 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 that researchers can use to design bird-friendly tablets, according to the study, which was peer-reviewed ahead of an upcoming presentation in May at the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. , said lead author Rébecca Kleinberger.
"Many animals in care, in zoos, in homes, interact with technology on a daily basis. They see the screens we use. Sometimes they use some of them as toys,"said Kleinberger, assistant professor of humanities and voice technology at Northeastern University in Boston. "But very little research has been done on how technology impacts animal experiences and how we might create better animal enrichment technologies."
Kleinberger is the 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 press release from Northeastern University. The team published a 2023 study showing that a group of parrots enjoyed making video calls with other feathered friends.
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As long as a caregiver is present, incorporating tablets into a parrot's schedule can help the clever creature get more stimulation, according to Irene Pepperberg, an adjunct research professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University who specializes in gray parrots .
"(Wild parrots) spend their days cracking nuts and pressing bark and interacting with all kinds of other birds in the flock. ... They have very exciting days full of lots of different things," said Pepperberg, who was not involved in the new research. "And so what we want to do is provide birds that live in captivity with some kind of enrichment."
Tablets designed with parrots in mind
Seventeen birds completed the study, interacting with a touch screen for no more than 30 minutes a day for three months. Two birds dropped out due to a lack of interest in the tablet, while one bird showed signs of stress and anxiety. Caregivers took in their parrots at home and kept them on a familiar schedule. The human study participants also played a role in praising and encouraging their creatures to stay engaged, Kleinberger said.
Some parrots were accurate when tapping a target on the screen, while others seemed more engaged when interacting with their caregivers.
"The (games) are not designed to be used in isolation for the bird to do (itself), but to think in the social context about their existing interactions with their caretakers, and how the system can also help strengthen the bond strengthen. between humans and animals," says Kleinberger.
One way to improve bird tablet designs is to use the on-device camera to get a better idea of where the bird is and adjust accordingly, or redesign a game's layout with keep the parrot's proximity to the screen in mind so the bird can see the targets better, Kleinberger said. Another improvement the researchers identified solved the problem where birds would tap one target multiple times very quickly and apparently become frustrated. One bird showed more interest in playing the game after researchers modified the tablets so they could tap only once every 300 milliseconds, she added.
It wasn't surprising that the birds could learn to follow a circle on a screen because of their higher intelligence, says Kurt Sladky, clinical professor of zoological medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Sladky was not involved in the new investigation.
"We see a lot of birds that, for whatever reason, out of boredom or sexual frustration, pluck their feathers. ... I think to avoid some of that boredom, I see that (playing games) can be helpful - they like sounds, they like music, they like looking at things," says Sladky, who has helped patients who have expressed an interest in watching YouTube videos of other birds.
Mobile games for parrot enrichment
If a parrot owner wants to introduce tablets into their pet's schedule, it's important to remember that the activity should be a collaboration between the owner and the bird, Pepperberg said. "But if you just leave it in the cage, for the birds it's like leaving your young children with a tablet all day."
Each bird has individual likes and dislikes, preferring one game over another, she added. Pet owners should monitor their birds for symptoms of aggression and irritability when using the tablet, while also ensuring the birds are on a schedule and not letting them play with the tablets for extended periods of time.
"When we look at the way technology has changed people's lives, both good and bad, it's staggering how much our lives have changed over the last hundred years," Kleinberger said. "Much of our research (examines) providing ethical, sustainable and meaningful enrichment for animals (with technology) designed for their own well-being... rather than systems used to reduce the interaction we as humans need to provide them to provide. "
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