Sneaky Cockatoos Crack Open Sydney’s Public Fountains: Watch These Geniuses Beat the City Heat in Style!
Sulphur-crested cockatoos in Sydney master drinking fountains, showcasing viral intelligence and redefining how wildlife thrives in urban hotspots.
- 41% Success Rate: Cockatoos accessed water on nearly half of fountain attempts.
- Urban Learners: Behavior rapidly spread among Western Sydney flocks by 2025.
- Daylight Drinkers: Most visits happened at dawn and dusk, their preferred hydration times.
- Not Just the Boys: Both male and female cockatoos showed off this clever trick.
Public drinking fountains across Sydney are getting a daily workout—and it’s not just thirsty humans behind the taps. Meet the city’s cunning sulfur-crested cockatoos, who have shocked scientists and delighted locals by mastering the art of turning on drinking fountains for a quick splash and sip.
In a joint study by the Max Planck Institute, University of Vienna, Western Sydney University, and Australian National University—recently published in Biology Letters—researchers tracked these urban parrots with motion-activated cameras. The footage tells a stunning story: wild cockatoos not only turn the handles on city fountains but also teach the trick to their feathered friends, sparking a city-wide phenomenon.
Watch their clever moves in action—the viral video has everyone talking!
Why Are Cockatoos Suddenly Using Drinking Fountains?
Cockatoos are well-known for their quick wits and adaptability. These brilliant birds first grabbed headlines for dumpster-diving antics—opening wheelie bins to feast on leftovers. Now, faced with hot weather and limited natural water sources, they’ve set their sights on a new city challenge: working out how to operate tricky water fountains.
Using coordinated footwork—one claw hooking the twist-handle, the other gripping the nozzle—these birds twist, pull, and finally sip, all with impressive precision. Cameras caught entire flocks queuing patiently at local Sydney reserves at dawn and dusk, taking turns for a hydrating drink.
Q: How Did They Learn This New Trick?
Scientists noticed something extraordinary: the clever drinking technique spread rapidly through nearby cockatoo groups. The researchers suggest this is a textbook example of social learning—one innovative bird cracks the code, and soon the whole community is taking notes.
Unlike their previous bin-opening escapades, both male and female birds were equally eager to get in on the fountain action. It’s a rare case of gender equality in urban bird smarts.
Q: Are Urban Landscapes Making Cockatoos Smarter?
Absolutely. Researchers say Sydney’s bustling parks and fields are proving to be the perfect playgrounds for problem-solving parrots. Despite habitat loss, these cockatoos are not just surviving in cities—they’re inventing totally new traditions.
This “city pop culture” helps cockatoos cope with climate extremes and showcases evolutionary adaptability in real time. It’s now believed this innovative fountain-drinking strategy could spread to other parrot species and urban areas internationally.
Visit National Geographic for more avian intelligence stories, or explore Australian National University for the latest ecology research.
How Can You Spot (and Help) Urban Bird Geniuses?
Urban birds need clean, accessible water—especially in heatwaves. Support wildlife-friendly spaces by:
- Keeping public fountains and birdbaths clean.
- Reporting vandalized or leaky fountains to local authorities.
- Watching and recording unusual wildlife behavior with your phone or wildlife apps.
- Sharing your sightings with scientists and fellow nature lovers on citizen science platforms.
Ready to see these super-smart cockatoos yourself? Head to a Sydney park at sunrise or sunset, and keep your camera rolling—you might witness the next viral animal sensation!
Action Checklist: How to Support Urban Wildlife Innovation in 2025
- Visit your local park at dawn or dusk for optimal bird-watching.
- Keep public water sources clean and accessible.
- Share remarkable sightings with researchers or on social media.
- Learn more about urban ecology with resources from BirdLife International.
Be part of Sydney’s wildest new trend. Spot, share, and support your city’s winged geniuses today!