Making new friends can be challenging, especially as an adult. This is also difficult for some of our feathered friends. When new birds are introduced to a group, Monk Parakeets first gauge the situation or so-called “feel the new bird’s mouth” to avoid being harmed by other birds.
According to RCO News Agency, These parrots gradually approach the new bird and take time to get to know it before engaging in the more dangerous or vulnerable interactions necessary to form the bonds necessary for survival.
Claire O’Connell, a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati and one of the study’s authors, says being sociable can have many benefits, but those friendships have to start somewhere, says PopSay. Many parrots, for example, form strong bonds with one or two other birds. These pairs often spend most of their time together, grooming each other (preen) or sometimes forming reproductive relationships.
Maintaining these close bonds is usually associated with lower levels of stress and higher reproductive success. However, the first call can be risky. When birds don’t know each other, they may bite, attack or chase each other. Birds that do not accept newcomers may become aggressive and cause injuries, O’Connell added.
In this study, the research team gathered flocks of wild parakeets in a large enclosure. Some of the birds in the group were strangers and others were more familiar. The researchers then collected data on the formation of new relationships, by observing how physically close the birds were over time, which birds groom each other, and other friendly behaviors.
In total, more than 179 relationships were examined and using computational methods and statistical models, it was determined whether the formation of the relationship is according to the “Sharat check” model or not.
Stranger birds would approach cautiously and take time to share common space with unfamiliar birds before finally sitting together, touching their beaks or grooming each other. Some strangers even took these relationships to the next level, sharing food and even mating.
These results were similar to a 2020 study of vampire bats, which showed that new bats also form small friendships first and then move on to sharing food with trusted partners.
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