Parrots Prefer Live Chats: Study Reveals the Potential of Virtual Socialization for Captive Birds

Recent research spearheaded by scientists at the University of Glasgow and Northeastern University suggests that technology can provide an innovative solution for meeting the social needs of parrots in captivity. The study explored the preferences of parrots when given the choice between live video chats with other parrots via Meta's Messenger and watching pre-recorded videos, and the results were revealing.

Over a six-month period, researchers provided nine parrot owners with tablets to set up for their pets. During this time, the parrots — having been introduced to each other at the outset over video chat — engaged in up to 12 video sessions lasting up to three hours each. Half of these sessions were pre-recorded videos, while the other half were live video calls using Messenger. Observations from the sessions revealed that the parrots displayed a clear preference for live interactions.

The caregivers who recorded the sessions noticed that the parrots were more engaged during the live chats, initiating more calls and spending more time engaging with the other birds on the screen. In fact, parrots using Messenger reached the maximum call limit in 46% of the sessions, whereas parrots watching pre-recorded videos reached this limit only half as often. Overall, the parrots accumulated a total of 561 minutes on Messenger calls, compared to just 142 minutes spent watching pre-recorded videos.

“The appearance of ‘liveness’ really did seem to make a difference to the parrots’ engagement with their screens,” explained Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, noting that further research is needed before drawing definitive conclusions. She observed that the parrots often displayed behaviors during the live calls that they would typically exhibit when interacting with other parrots in real life, something that was not observed during pre-recorded sessions.

While more extensive research is needed, this study hints at the potential for technology to enrich the lives of parrots in captivity by providing a virtual means for them to interact with each other. Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas emphasized the importance of designing these technological solutions around the specific needs and abilities of the animals. “The internet holds a great deal of potential for giving animals agency to interact with each other in new ways," she said, "but the systems we build to help them do that need to be designed around their specific needs and physical and mental abilities.”

This study represents a promising step toward creating an internet that serves the unique needs of captive animals, providing them with opportunities for social interaction that would otherwise be unavailable.