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Birds in the trash
It is now well accepted that humans are not the only animal with a complex culture, and we have also found that ecological novelty can lead to cultural innovation. Klump et al. documented the emergence of an evolving set of behaviors in response to human-generated resources, particularly garbage cans, in Sulfur-crested Cockatoos. This discovery documents both the existence and spread of a complex foraging culture in parrots, a lineage known for its high-level cognitive functions, and sheds light on how the spread of cultural innovation can lead to distinct regional variations.
Science, abe7808, this issue p. 456
Abstract
The emergence, diffusion and establishment of innovations within cultures can foster adaptive responses to anthropogenic change. We describe a putative case of the development of a cultural adaptation to urban environments: the opening of household garbage cans by wild Sulfur-crested cockatoos. A spatial network analysis of community science reports revealed the geographic spread of opening trash cans from three suburbs to 44 in Sydney, Australia, through social learning. Analysis of 160 direct observations revealed individual styles and site-specific differences. We describe a comprehensive pathway from the spread of innovation to the emergence of geographic variation, highlighting foraging cultures in parrots and indicating the existence of cultural complexity in parrots. The opening of trash cans is directly linked to the opportunities offered by humans, highlighting the potential of culture to facilitate behavioral responses to anthropogenic change.
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