Overview

• Camera traps captured 525 attempts by western Sydney cockatoos to operate twist-handle drinking fountains, showing about 70% of the local birds tried and 41% succeeded
• First noted in 2018, the fountain-drinking practice has persisted for at least two years and qualifies as a rare animal cultural tradition
• The maneuver demands advanced coordination, with cockatoos using one foot to grip the stem, the other to twist the handle and body weight to maintain water flow
• This drinking fountain innovation is the second documented urban adaptation after the species figured out how to open trash-bin lids across Sydney
• Published in Biology Letters, the study highlights ongoing efforts to understand why cockatoos prefer fountains and invites public reports of novel behaviors