Mini parrots, or commonly called cockatiels, are a type of bird that is a favorite pet for many people. Cockatoo has been popular because it can imitate human words. However, in a recently published scientific study, it was confirmed that cockatoos could understand melodies, and therefore, they were able to sing according to melodies.
In fact, the cockatoo’s brain is so sophisticated, this bird can sing in the middle of a song, without having to be taught it first. Just like the human ability to follow the rhythm. The cockatoo, which is DNA still considered distant relatives of early humans, turns out to have similarities with us in the field of musicality.
Researcher Yoshimasa Seki, from Japan, trained three mini-male parrots that he kept with Mickey Mouse songs. When the research began, the songs played were not in sequence from the beginning, but went straight to the chorus. Apparently, the three birds immediately tried to follow the rhythm and tempo, so that their voices were not fake. The three mini parrots also combine voices, just like humans when singing together.
The cockatoo’s ability to sing is nothing new. If you take the time to browse on YouTube, there are many videos showing this type of bird singing complex melodies.
According to Seki, as an academic from the Psychology Department of Aichi University, the results of his research show that mini cockatoos have the ability to work collaboratively. This is not surprising, considering that the DNA of cockatoos millions of years ago was very close to the homo family, which became the forerunner of modern humans.
“Humans in prehistoric times sang as a way of communication. As we evolved, we started singing just for fun. However, from animal studies that are still direct descendants of human distant relatives, it can be seen that the ability to coordinate through sound is still being passed on to the cockatoo,” said Seki, when contacted by VICE World News.
The creature that connects the bird family with humans is estimated by scientists lived 300 million years ago. It is possible that this evolutionary line gave birth to the ability to communicate through voice, for modern humans. Humans are clearly more closely related to the ape family, such as the chimpanzee or the orangutan. However, many researchers believe that there are similarities between birds and humans in shaping the system of language and oral communication.
At least, it is now confirmed that cockatoos and humans have similarities in the aspect of singing for fun. The birds Seki studied didn’t sing just because they had been trained, but they did want to do it without coercion.
“I don’t give gifts at all when they sing. They follow the melody without being asked at all, ”said Seki.
When compared to other animals that can sing, this is a very unusual trait. Killer whales, elephants, or chimpanzees can imitate human voices. But, usually they have to be rewarded for doing so. Plus, animals other than cockatoos can’t follow rhythms like humans avoid false sounds when singing.
According to Mark Hauber, professor of bird behavior studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Seki’s research provides a new contribution to the ability of parrots to sing. “We’ve known for a long time that birds can sing to a beat. But what’s surprising is that it blends sounds so harmoniously,” Hauber told VICE World News.
Singing a duet, or chorus, is an ability that has been known only to humans. Equating the basic notes requires complex brain work.
“This means that, after millions of years of evolution, birds can practically have the same brain function in terms of sound production as humans,” added Hauber.
Seki targets his next research topic to be understanding why birds like to sing spontaneously. It is suspected that birds’ brains release dopamine, which causes a happy effect, when they perform certain activities such as singing.
Seki said the three mini parrots that he kept could not be asked to sing freely. Therefore he wanted to know what kind of situation could encourage them to sing.
“So, if asked to perform like humans, they definitely won’t be able to. They only want to sing when they want to, “he said.
Follow Hanako Montgomery di Twitter and Instagram.
–
