June 5 (UPI) -- A team of researchers in Australia published a paper about how the population of sulphur-crested cockatoos in Sydney have learned to operate drinking fountains designed for human use.
The team, whose research was published in the journal Biology Letters, said they placed cameras that recorded more than 500 attempts by cockatoos to use public drinking fountains over the course of 44 days.
The team said the birds in the footage were able to successfully operate the water fountains and take a drink about 46% of the time.
"The behavior consists of a combination of actions involving both feet, bill and shifting body weight to start the water flow," the researchers wrote.
John Martin, a senior ecologist with consultancy firm Ecosure and co-author of the study, said the team was originally studying cockatoo foraging habits when they witnessed the birds using a drinking fountain at a sports field in western Sydney.
