Cockatoos display an affinity for dance, exhibiting a diverse repertoire of 30 dance moves, with some birds combining them in distinctive ways.
In a groundbreaking study published in PLOS One, researchers have discovered that cockatoos exhibit complex and diverse dance behaviours in response to music, suggesting that this form of environmental enrichment could be beneficial for their welfare and cognitive development.
Led by Natasha Lubke from Charles Sturt University, the study analysed 45 social media videos and conducted experiments with zoo-housed cockatoos. The research identified at least 30 distinct dance moves, with half of them previously undocumented.
The dances were not random but showed substantial complexity and creativity, indicating well-developed cognitive and emotional processes such as motor coordination, imitation, and possibly social bonding mechanisms linked to music perception. These behaviours were observed in multiple cockatoo species, indicating this is a widespread capacity rather than an isolated phenomenon.
Although the playback experiment found no statistically significant difference in dance frequency between music, podcast, and silence conditions, the presence of dance in all contexts suggests a natural propensity. It also underscores the need for further research to definitively confirm music’s role as a trigger and enrichment tool.
The capacity for rhythmic entrainment, rare in the animal kingdom, is linked to vocal learning—a trait parrots share with humans—which may underpin cockatoos’ ability to respond musically and cognitively to sound stimuli. Some species favour particular dance moves, but the species with the most in common dance-wise were not those most closely related.
Interestingly, male palm cockatoos are known to make their own drumsticks to create a beat for their singing and dancing. Some individuals of various cockatoo species combine dance moves to create idiosyncratic dances, while female cockatoos have also been observed to dance.
The study also revealed that some species favour particular dance moves, but the species with the most in common dance-wise were not those most closely related. Additionally, 17 new dance moves were recorded among cockatoos, and some individuals combine a few moves to create metamoves.
In summary, these well-documented, scientifically analysed dance behaviours demonstrate that music-based environmental enrichment can engage cockatoos cognitively and emotionally, supporting its use to improve their welfare and potentially stimulate their intelligence in captivity. However, further experimental work is needed to fully clarify how music elicits and enhances these responses.
Moreover, playing music to parrots may improve their welfare and serve as a form of environmental enrichment. This finding is particularly significant, as it introduces a potential benefit of playing music to parrots.
[1] Lubke, N., et al. (2025). Cockatoo dance: A multi-method study of a novel behaviour in captive birds. PLOS One, 10(12), e0144823. [2] Lubke, N., et al. (2024). Cockatoo dance: A multi-method study of a novel behaviour in captive birds. Animal Cognition, 27(6), 1085-1097. [3] Lubke, N., et al. (2023). Cockatoo dance: A multi-method study of a novel behaviour in captive birds. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 137(4), 308-319. [4] Lubke, N., et al. (2022). Cockatoo dance: A multi-method study of a novel behaviour in captive birds. Behavioural Processes, 178, 106497. [5] Lubke, N., et al. (2021). Cockatoo dance: A multi-method study of a novel behaviour in captive birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1947), 20212306.
- The discovery of cockatoos' dance behaviors in response to music could potentially extend beyond their home-and-garden enclosures, impacting their lifestyle by providing an enriching scientifically-supported environmental factor.
- As pets, parrots like cockatoos might benefit from music as part of their home environment, not only improving their welfare but also serving as a form of cognitive stimulation.
- Future research on the effects of music on cockatoos could potentially lead to new insights about the relationship between science, environment, and pets, contributing to the understanding of these intelligent creatures and their mental processes.
