by ZACH SENN
Staff Writer
A recent study done by Brucks and Auguste von Bayern of the Max Planck Institute for Orthinology in Germany found that African grey parrots have a sense of charity and kindness for their fellow birds. They go out of their way to help feed the birds from their social groups even when it means that they are not guaranteed to get any food back.
The conducted study paired two birds together. One bird had special tokens that they knew could be turned in to a trading station at a window for food. However, this bird’s window was blocked off while its partner on the opposite section of the cage had an open trading window, but no special tokens to turn in for food. Once both birds realized the problems they had, the bird with tokens decided to help the other bird that needed tokens. The ‘token bird’ handed off each and every one of its tokens to its companion and watched them turn in the tokens and eat their food.
Afterward, the birds’ roles were switched and they acted no differently in aiding each other’s needs. Studies done on different birds such as ravens and blue-headed macaws did not reciprocate the data shown by the African grey parrots. This unique sense of charity was thought to only be found in young children as old a 1, but this revealing evidence proves that we know less than we thought we did about the human and bird-like mind.