In western Sydney, Sulphur-crested cockatoos, large white parrots with yellow crests, have learned how to open public drinking fountain taps using their feet and body weight. These birds are not just playing around. They are showing how clever and adaptable they are in city life. Scientists believe they are learning this new trick from each other.
This new behavior was caught on camera by researchers who were surprised to see the birds lining up at water fountains, waiting for their turn. One by one, they took turns twisting the tap handle and keeping pressure on it to make the water flow.
These water fountains are not simple—they are designed so the water only flows when someone applies constant pressure. Still, these birds figured it out.
Barbara Klump, a lead researcher from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, worked with a team from Western Sydney University, the Australian National University, and the University of Vienna. She said, “It’s amazing to watch.
The birds place one foot, usually the right one, on the twist handle, and the other foot either holds the faucet or helps with balance. Then they lower their body weight to turn the tap and keep the water flowing, all while using their head to drink.”
To study this clever behavior, the scientists set up cameras around several parks. They marked 24 birds with red dots so they could track which birds were coming back and how often. Over 44 days, they recorded 525 attempts to access water. About 41% of the birds were successful. But the marked birds, who may have practiced more, had a 52% success rate.
“The way they use their body shows real coordination,” said one of the researchers. “It’s not just one lucky bird doing it. Many of them are learning, practicing, and getting better over time.”
This is not the first time Sydney’s cockatoos have made the news for being smart. In 2022, they were seen opening household trash bins to find food. At first, people put weights on the lids to stop the birds.
But the cockatoos quickly figured out how to remove the weights using their beaks and strength. That behavior started in 2019 and spread through the cockatoo population, becoming a common trick.
Now, the same thing seems to be happening with the water fountains. The scientists believe this is a new “urban tradition” among the birds. They’re not just surviving in the city—they’re learning from each other and creating new ways to live alongside humans.
One citizen scientist even captured video of another group of cockatoos using a different kind of faucet. This shows that the behavior is not limited to one area or one fountain design. It might be spreading across different parts of Sydney or even other cities.
The researchers also looked closely at how the birds learned and which movements worked best. They studied hundreds of video clips and found 39 different types of successful movements and 88 different failed ones.
Some birds tried very unique ways to open the taps. The shorter, more focused actions usually led to success. Still, the most common movement patterns were the same, whether they worked or not.
This shows that, like people, some birds may just be more skilled or stronger than others. Factors like bird size, coordination, or experience likely play a big role in success. “It’s a lot like us,” said a researcher. “Some of us learn things fast, others take more time, but everyone watches and tries.”
The cockatoos were most active at the fountains around 7:30 in the morning and 5:30 in the evening. They visited on weekdays and weekends, hot or cool days. But they stayed away during rainy weather. Even when other water sources were nearby, they kept returning to the fountains. This shows that they prefer using the taps, maybe because it’s fun or they enjoy the challenge.
Cockatoos are naturally smart, social birds. They eat seeds, nuts, and fruits, but in the city, they’ve learned to expand their diet and explore new food sources. They are often seen playing with objects, swinging on power lines, and fiddling with locks and ropes. This playfulness might help them learn new skills faster.
The researchers said, “This is the first time we’ve seen parrots using a public water fountain like this. It takes a lot of actions—using feet, beaks, and body weight—to make it work. Even with practice, only about half the birds got it right. That’s very similar to the bin-opening behavior, where about 54% of marked birds were successful.”
