Overview

• Researchers analysed 45 social media videos and observations of six birds at Wagga Wagga Zoo to catalogue 30 distinct movements, including 17 newly documented behaviors
• Dancing occurred regardless of music, podcasts or silence, showing that the behavior does not require external audio stimuli
• Individual birds often combined headbanging, sidestepping and body rolls to create unique choreographies
• Behaviors were recorded in at least 10 of the family’s 21 known species, indicating that complex dance displays are widespread in cockatoos
• Scientists are exploring how rhythmic engagement might enrich captive environments and probing the emotional and cognitive functions of these dance moves