How a Garbage-Bin War Schools Humans and Birds
Sulfur-crested cockatoos enjoying a feast in Sydney, Australia (Ken Griffiths/Alamy)
September 21, 2022
Sulfur-crested cockatoos are trash-can bandits in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Humans use tools to protect their bins, and the birds then go the extra mile to break in.
The human-bird innovation arms race is “a really exciting idea,” says Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram, Departments of Forest and Conservation Sciences and Zoology. “It’s really wonderful to see data showing that likely this is what’s happening.”
Dr. Benson-Amram leads the Urban Raccoon Project at the UBC Farm.