A New Zealand parrot that lost the top half of its beak has developed a unique jousting technique to achieve the highest social status, researchers report in a new study.
Te Whare Wāre Wānanga o Waitaha biologist Alex Grabham said the parrot, named Bruce, uses its exposed lower beak to lunge at opponents’ heads, wings, beaks and legs during jousting matches, but does not normally make contact. The study’s lead author, New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, told Live Science. Rather, the move is a competitive stance aimed at surprising the opponent. Blues will extend their necks to apply more force at close range, or run or jump to slam their beaks into other males from a distance.
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“It’s no wonder that a bird with a disability like Bruce has had to get creative to make ends meet,” Grabham said.
Bruce is an endangered parrot, the kea (Nestor notabilis), native to New Zealand. These parrots are known for their amazing adaptability and intelligence, as they have been recorded using tools, problem solving, and making predictions.
Bruce was discovered as a juvenile in the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island, missing his entire upper beak, and lived in captivity at Willowbank Wildlife Sanctuary in Christchurch for about 12 years. Researchers think he may have lost this part of his beak in an accident, but they don’t know exactly what happened, Grabham said.
Bruce has adapted to his disability by developing never-before-seen techniques to accomplish his daily tasks. For example, in the first documented use of self-care tools in a care parrot, he grooms himself using pebbles of various sizes in place of his beak.
“That job really showed him that he had to innovate,” Grabham said.
In a study published April 20 in the journal Current Biology, researchers described a novel technique that helped Bruce achieve his status as the undefeated alpha male in jousting. Grabham said he is the only Kea athlete recorded to have engaged in this method of jousting, and researchers suspect he may be the only one. The parrot’s upper beak protrudes more than its lower beak, making it impossible to reproduce this movement with an intact beak.
Bruce’s jousting moves immediately dislodged his opponent 73% of the time. Bruce won all 36 observed jousts in which he was participating, confirming that he was the dominant alpha parrot of the group. “We know his jousting is a big part of his success,” Grabham said.
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Being an Alpha benefits Bruce’s health. When researchers tested parrots by analyzing their fecal samples, they had the lowest stress hormone levels of the group. It also enjoys preferential access to feeders and is the only male in the group whose grooming and beak cleaning is done by other males.
Bruce’s behavioral innovations allowed him to exert an advantage over the group, making it the first time a disabled animal achieved alpha status on its own, the researchers said. In other recorded instances where disabled animals reached the highest social status, alliances were essential for dominance. For example, an alpha male chimpanzee (Pan troglodyte) who lost an arm to polio rose through the ranks with a new charging display and an alliance with his siblings. In another example, an elderly male Japanese macaque who had lost the ability to walk achieved alpha status through an alliance with the group’s alpha female.
Researchers said the new findings highlight the intelligence and flexibility of kea. The kea is critically endangered, with fewer than 7,000 left in the wild, so its conservation is critical, Grabham said.
“Every care is unique and has its own way of doing things and its own personality,” Grabham said. “They are incredible creatures, and Bruce is one of them.” Willowbank Wildlife Refuge advocates for the conservation of kea through breeding programs and education.
Researchers said the new discovery shows what is possible for animals with physical disabilities.
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