Learning and Social Behavior in Parrots

Dear Colleagues,

Parrots have gained attention in the past three decades in cognitive and behavioral research due to their excellent abilities in solving complex cognitive tasks. They can solve problems that require sophisticated logical reasoning, such as counting and inference by exclusion. In addition, they have the unique ability among birds to manipulate their environment with dexterity, using both their feet and beak, which gives them a high level of technical intelligence. A few parrot species have been shown to use tools, and one species, the Goffin’s cockatoo, even spontaneously makes tools both in captivity and in the wild. In general, the parrot species investigated to date are socially tolerant, group-living, and gregarious. However, social structures and behaviors have only been investigated in a handful of the more than 300 parrot species that exist today. Differences between species’ social structures, habitat, and foraging strategies likely influence aspects of parrots’ cognitive abilities, such as individual and social learning.

In this Special Issue, we aim to increase knowledge of the social behaviors and learning abilities of parrots, with the overall goal of better understanding parrot cognition and behavior through publishing high-quality, original research articles and comprehensive reviews. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: parrot cognition, parrot intelligence, parrot learning, parrot problem solving, parrot sociality, and parrot social behavior.

Dr. Amelia Wein
Dr. Raoul Schwing
Guest Editors

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