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Goffin cockatoo beginning training8/8/2023 ![]() ![]() Multiple strings are used to investigate means–end understanding, for which four criteria have been proposed that must be met: (1) goal-directedness, (2) no proximity errors (choosing the string closest to the reward), (3) flexible solutions, and (4) no dependence on immediate feedback (Jacobs & Osvath, 2015). Tests with a single string are used to ascertain whether subjects possess the necessary sensorimotor skills to acquire the food reward at the end of the string (Altevogt, 1953). ![]() Other methodological variations include the alteration of string number and pattern. For example, the string orientation can be chosen to appear horizontal or vertical when testing parrots, predominantly vertical string-pulling setups have been used (see Jacobs & Osvath, 2015), while horizontal arrangements have largely been employed with mammals, invertebrates and other bird species (e.g., Dücker & Rensch, 1977 Hofmann, Cheke, & Clayton, 2016 Obozova & Zorina, 2013 Taylor, Knaebe, & Gray, 2012’ but see Auersperg, Gajdon, & Huber, 2009 de Mendonça-Furtado & Ottoni, 2008 van Horik & Emery, 2016, for exceptions in testing parrot species). ![]() The basic setup of the string-pulling paradigm can easily be adjusted into different versions, depending on the target species and the purpose of the study. Finally, we provide suggestions on improving the methodology, and discuss our findings in regard to the Goffin’s cockatoo’s ecology. The results suggest that while the birds seem to consider simple cause–effect relationships, there is no evidence for a mental representation of the causal mechanisms underlying the string-pulling tasks, as subjects failed the crossed strings condition out of immediate sight. We found significant differences in performance between the respective experimental conditions, as well as the development of side biases. Four different double string discrimination tests with varying spatial relations were used to assess the Goffin’s cockatoos’ apprehension of basic physical task properties. Nine of the 12 subjects, two of which were subadults, immediately interacted with the single-string task, with seven individuals successfully obtaining the reward on their very first attempt. In this study, we confronted the animals for the first time with a vertical string-pulling setup, including a set of classic and novel controls. These neophilic extractive foragers explore objects with their beak and feet, and are skilled in several modes of tool use. Goffin’s cockatoos, a parrot species endemic to the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia, demonstrate remarkable cognitive skills across various technical tasks. ![]()
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