Overview

• Sulfur-crested cockatoos at Charlie Bali Reserve grip the fountain stem, twist the handle with a claw and lean their bodies to open spring-loaded bubblers.
• Over 44 days researchers marked 24 birds and recorded 525 attempts, finding about 70 percent tried the fountains and roughly 41 percent succeeded overall.
• The widespread fountain use appears to be a local cultural tradition among the cockatoos, a drinking behavior rarely documented in animal groups.
• Scientists attribute the skill to the parrots’ high brain-to-body mass ratio and advanced coordination, traits comparable to problem-solving seen in primates.
• Ongoing studies are probing why cockatoos favor fountains—hypotheses include cleaner water, elevated safety or social benefits—and the Big City Birds App is gathering further sightings.