Nine Goffin's cockatoos have shown a surprising culinary preference, displaying a keen interest in dunking bland foods into blueberry-flavored soy yoghurt. This behavior, observed by researchers Jeroen Zewald and Dr. Alice Auersperg, was documented in a study published in the journal Current Biology. The cockatoos favored pasta, potatoes, or a mix of both when paired with the fruity dip, revealing an intriguing layer of complexity in avian food preferences.
The discovery stemmed from initial observations of two captive cockatoos dunking cooked potato pieces into blueberry soy yoghurt during breakfast. This innovative behavior prompted a series of controlled experiments to explore the birds' preferences further. Across 14 trials, each lasting 30 minutes, groups of 18 cockatoos were presented with bowls containing pasta and cauliflower or potatoes and carrots, alongside three dips: blueberry soy yoghurt, plain soy yoghurt, and fresh water.
Interestingly, the birds consistently favored the blueberry soy yoghurt for their dunking endeavors. They showed no interest in plain yoghurt or water as dipping options. This preference was not driven by texture, as the foods were already soft, eliminating the need to make them soggy. Instead, the birds appeared to be drawn to the flavor itself.
“The birds [in an experiment] had a problem that their food was not tasty enough, and so they went to the yoghurt, really dunked it in like we would do with fries and ketchup, and then they ate it together,” said Jeroen Zewald.
In addition to their taste for blueberry soy yoghurt, the cockatoos demonstrated their commitment to this new-found dipping technique by repeatedly engaging in the behavior whenever the opportunity arose.
“And if they ran out, they did it again,” noted Jeroen Zewald.
The research team observed that the cockatoos did not simply lick off the yoghurt before consuming the food. Instead, they ate the food and dip combination simultaneously, suggesting a genuine preference for this pairing.
“They ate the food and yoghurt together and never licked the yoghurt off before eating the food, indicating their preference for the combination of both food items,” explained Jeroen Zewald.
The study also highlighted that while previous observations had shown cockatoos dunking dry rusks in water for over 20 seconds, the birds only submerged their food in soy yoghurt for about three seconds. This brief dunking period further emphasized their specific interest in the flavor rather than altering the texture of their food.
Despite these intriguing findings, questions remain about how this behavior developed among the cockatoos. It is unclear whether one bird initiated this practice and others followed suit or if it emerged independently across different birds.