This Disabled Parrot Invented a Way to Preen Himself

Bruce the kea. Photo: Jonathan Webb.

Bruce is a kea (Nestor notabilis), a species of alpine parrot native to New Zealand. He’s eight years old and lives at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch. What sets him apart from the other kea in that aviary is his disability: Bruce lost his upper bill in an accident when he was young.

Remarkably, this does not stop him from looking his best. Bruce uses small pebbles to preen himself. In a recent paper, researchers described and quantified observations of Bruce and other non-disabled kea. They concluded that Bruce’s flexible, deliberate, and context-appropriate behavior represents an ingenious solution to his lack of bill, as well as reflecting his species’ knack for innovation and problem-solving.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: This Disabled Parrot Invented a Way to Preen Himself.