NEWS · B2 Level - Part 6

Why Do Cockatoos Dance

They definitely don't have two left feet. Social media is filled with videos of cockatoos busting a move.

Level: B2 · 13 sentences

Transcript

  1. They definitely don't have two left feet.
  2. Social media is filled with videos of cockatoos busting a move.
  3. New research shows these clever birds actually have dozens of dance moves, including several newly identified ones.
  4. Researchers studied 45 videos they found through social media sites showing cockatoos cutting a rug.
  5. The results published in the open access journal PLOS One show cockatos have at least 30 distinct moves,
  6. 17 of which had not previously been described scientifically.
  7. This includes head banging, side steps, and body rolls.
  8. Some even come up with their own unique ways to get down,
  9. often combining several movements.
  10. Dancing in time to music has only been reported in humans and captive parrots,
  11. but some birds in the wild have been known to show off repeated movements during courtship.
  12. Cockatoos, which are part of the parrot family, are known to dance to music in captivity,
  13. but researchers say their motivation remains unclear.