Magpies help remove each other's tracking devices, outwit scientists (bird community)

[C C]

https://theconversation.com/altruism-in-...ces-175246

EXCERPTS: When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies for a pilot study, we didn’t expect to discover an entirely new social behaviour rarely seen in birds. [...] As our new research paper explains, the magpies began showing evidence of cooperative “rescue” behaviour to help each other remove the tracker.

[...] During our pilot study, we found out how quickly magpies team up to solve a group problem. Within ten minutes of fitting the final tracker, we witnessed an adult female without a tracker working with her bill to try and remove the harness off of a younger bird.

Within hours, most of the other trackers had been removed. By day 3, even the dominant male of the group had its tracker successfully dismantled.

We don’t know if it was the same individual helping each other or if they shared duties, but we had never read about any other bird cooperating in this way to remove tracking devices.

The birds needed to problem solve, possibly testing at pulling and snipping at different sections of the harness with their bill. They also needed to willingly help other individuals, and accept help... (MORE - details)

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/E2IJQc-MGDs

[Zinjanthropos]

Sorry, on my phone and can’t provide links but….Some bird species engage in allopreening, where one bird preens another. Australian Magpie is no exception. From what I’ve read, the birds do this for a variety of reasons, so I don’t think it would be too uncommon for any attached man-made device to catch an allopreening bird’s eye.

I guess the article is suggesting that the tracker removing behavior is learned and passed on(taught?) I’m thinking it’s just natural for the bird to attempt to pull off the device, originating from a behavior developed long ago.

[Kornee]

https://theconversation.com/altruism-in-...ces-175246

EXCERPTS: When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies for a pilot study, we didn’t expect to discover an entirely new social behaviour rarely seen in birds. [...] As our new research paper explains, the magpies began showing evidence of cooperative “rescue” behaviour to help each other remove the tracker.

[...] During our pilot study, we found out how quickly magpies team up to solve a group problem. Within ten minutes of fitting the final tracker, we witnessed an adult female without a tracker working with her bill to try and remove the harness off of a younger bird.

Within hours, most of the other trackers had been removed. By day 3, even the dominant male of the group had its tracker successfully dismantled.

We don’t know if it was the same individual helping each other or if they shared duties, but we had never read about any other bird cooperating in this way to remove tracking devices.

The birds needed to problem solve, possibly testing at pulling and snipping at different sections of the harness with their bill. They also needed to willingly help other individuals, and accept help... (MORE - details)

From now on, being called a bird brain should be taken as a compliment. We humans can only hope to be able to achieve the same for our increasingly mass omni-surveilled societies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6HCgBzhibU
Unfortunately, most can't see the danger ahead.