Study Reveals Wild Parrots Use Social Learning to Try New Foods
A recent study published in PLOS Biology has found that wild sulphur-crested cockatoos in Sydney, Australia, use social learning to decide whether to try new foods. Researchers from Australia, Germany, the US, and Switzerland observed over 700 parrots across five communities. They discovered that parrots would mimic the food choices of their peers, particularly when introduced to novel food items like colored almonds. The study highlighted that juveniles were more conformist, often copying the majority, while adults were influenced by their social associates. This behavior mirrors human tendencies to follow social cues in decision-making. 
