Meet Bruce, the "beak-jousting" parrot
Summary
Bruce is a kea parrot from New Zealand who lost his upper beak as a young bird but became the dominant male in his group at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. He uses a special "beak-jousting" fighting style and shows clever problem-solving skills, like using small pebbles to clean his feathers.Key Facts
- Bruce is a kea, an alpine parrot species native to New Zealand.
- He lost his upper beak in an accident when he was very young.
- Bruce became the alpha male in his group of keas through a unique fighting method called "beak-jousting."
- Unlike other keas that bite down, Bruce thrusts forward with his lower beak when fighting.
- He uses small pebbles wedged between his tongue and lower jaw to preen his feathers, showing tool use.
- Researchers observed Bruce winning all 36 of his fights against other males in 162 interactions.
- Bruce has lower stress hormone levels and gets first access to central feeding spots.
- His caretakers did not fit prosthetics on him to avoid stressing him or forcing new adaptations.
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