Do parrots really dance
When I was a child we had an Amazon parrot and when we would play certain songs, he would dance. He would tilt his head to the left, then shuffle to the left, then tilt his head to right, shuffle to the right and repeat the whole thing over and over. He also would stop and bob his head up and down.
Anyway, I was wondering if any studies have ever been done on this. Was he really 'dancing'? Meaning, was he really expressing his enjoyment of the music? If so, this must be a testament of their intelligence.
Answers:Parrots can and do respond to music. And they do it in different ways.
For example, one of my Greys will whistle up a storm in the car if I have music on.
I have seen countless videotape of birds dancing, jumping up and down or bobbing and weaving to music. Sometimes they do it on their own, and sometimes they do it though "Observational Learning"-watching people or other birds do it.
I have a bird acquaintance who I call "Shaking Sammy". Sammy is a female Caique who, when asked will stand on a flat surface, lift her leg and tap her foot repeatedly; especially if you do it with her while clapping your hands. It is hilarious to watch and I have never seen this particular behavior in any other parrot. Sammy's owner has been offered thousands of dollars for her, but no dice. He won't sell her and to be honest I can't blame him.
So far I haven't seen any particular formal studies on dancing unless you count the "Moonwalking Bird": Link is here:
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