You Won’t Believe How Sydney’s Cockatoos Are Outsmarting the City—Watch Them Hijack Public Fountains!
Watch how Sydney’s ingenious cockatoos master public drinking fountains, spreading urban survival skills through their flocks in 2025.
- 41% – Success rate of cockatoos turning on public water fountains
- First Ever – Wild parrots documented using this technique
- Both Genders – Males and females equally adept at the trick
- Dawn & Dusk – Peak times for cockatoo fountain visits
Sydney’s sulfur-crested cockatoos aren’t just noisy — they’re urban masterminds. Known for cracking open household bins, these cheeky birds now have a brand-new, headline-grabbing trick: operating public drinking fountains across Western Sydney’s parks.
Motion-activated cameras, set up by an international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute, University of Vienna, Western Sydney University, and Australian National University, caught the action in stunning detail. The birds, filmed in local reserves and on sports fields, displayed astonishing coordination as they worked the fountain handles, managing to score a drink an impressive 41% of the time.
Curious about how these feathered Einsteins made their discovery? Let’s break down the science, the strategy, and what it says about our fellow city dwellers.
Q: How Do Cockatoos Figure Out Drinking Fountains?
Cockatoos use teamwork between foot and beak. Typically, a bird pins down the twist-handle with one foot—usually the right—while gripping the rubber bubbler with the other. Using body weight, it twists the valve and turns its head to access the surge of water.
The researchers believe social learning fuels this trend. Cockatoos often form queues, literally lining up on fences for their turn, spreading the new “fountain-hacking” habit across the flock. Unlike previous food-foraging hacks that favored males, both boys and girls are in on the action this time.
Q: Why Are Cockatoos So Good at Urban Problem-Solving?
Adaptation is in their DNA. Faced with habitat loss and city living, cockatoos have evolved to exploit new resources—like bins for food or fountains for hydration. Scientists highlight their exceptional innovativeness and attraction to shiny, novel opportunities.
Behavior like this could spark the rise of new animal traditions unique to city environments—turning our built landscapes into wild laboratories for avian intelligence.
Want to see these urban rebels in action? Check out real footage on YouTube and stay up-to-date with avian intelligence studies at Nature.
How Can You Help Urban Wildlife Thrive?
Take inspiration from Sydney’s clever cockatoos. Next time you’re in a city park, watch how wildlife uses our infrastructure. Support local conservation groups and look for urban design ideas that benefit both people and animals—check resources at the Audubon Society.
Join the Conversation—and Protect Urban Nature!
- Watch for innovative animal behaviors in your city
- Respect urban wildlife—never feed or disturb them
- Share cool discoveries on social media to raise awareness
- Support urban biodiversity by advocating for accessible green spaces
Urban life is evolving fast—don’t miss what animals are teaching us about survival in 2025!
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