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TIL There's a Bird That Has Learned To Manipulate Traffic by herpetologyguy

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til · @herpetologyguy · (edited)
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TIL There's a Bird That Has Learned To Manipulate Traffic
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<p>Birds are known to be pretty intelligent animals. Recent videos of birds like crows and ravens using tools and solving complex puzzles have gone viral, and we now realize that the term "bird-brained" may not be such a bad thing!</p>
<p>https://youtu.be/AVaITA7eBZE <a href="https://youtu.be/AVaITA7eBZE">Video</a></p>
<p>In New Zealand, another bird is showing off its "braininess" in a rather spectacular fashion. The kea is a large species of alpine parrot (the only alpine parrot); it is omnivorous, eating roots, nectar, carrion and insects. These birds are not especially common as they were once hunted for a bounty; kea have been known to attack livestock, especially sheep, in rural farming communities. In 1968, they received protection as a vulnerable species to protect their remaining populations.</p>
<p>https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Kea_on_rock_while_snowing.jpg/300px-Kea_on_rock_while_snowing.jpg <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Kea_on_rock_while_snowing.jpg/300px-Kea_on_rock_while_snowing.jpg">Photo</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea">Credit</a></p>
<p>Road Workers in New Zealand's Milford Sound were baffled by haunting events near the entrance of a one-way tunnel. &nbsp;Traffic cones around the tunnel were repeatedly moved into the way of traffic, and no one was around that could account for the movement of the cones. A brief CCTV operation found an unlikely culprit: the kea.</p>
<p>https://youtu.be/FuA5tO_c7s4 <a href="https://youtu.be/FuA5tO_c7s4">Video</a></p>
<p>The keas were moving the cones in what New Zealand officials believe to be an attempt to stop cars, most likely in an attempt to draw human attention in the hopes of being fed. Keas are notoriously social birds and commonly interact with humans; they are intensely curious animals and know full well that tourists are often keen on feeding the wild parrots.</p>
<blockquote>&nbsp;"We think the keas listen for the cars in the tunnel and move the road cones between the streams of traffic." -Kevin Thompson, manager for the Milford Alliance <a href="http://mashable.com/2016/11/29/kea-bird-tricking-drivers-milford-sound-new-zealand/#LLmg3psHZqqN">Source</a></blockquote>
<p>New Zealand road workers are now replacing their cones with heavier alternative to prevent an accident (and because endangered species playing in the road is generally detrimental to their conservation!). <a href="http://mashable.com/2016/11/29/kea-bird-tricking-drivers-milford-sound-new-zealand/#LLmg3psHZqqN">Source</a></p>
<p>http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GlmfmJi7l50/SKh1xdIknfI/AAAAAAAABsU/1DAq9d7cYaY/s640/birdcone.jpg <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GlmfmJi7l50/SKh1xdIknfI/AAAAAAAABsU/1DAq9d7cYaY/s640/birdcone.jpg">Photo</a> and <a href="http://adamspictureblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/gertrudes-saddle.html">Credit</a></p>
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@lethn · (edited)
I absolutely love that, I swear one time I actually saw a cat use a traffic light to cross the road in front of me so I had to stop. It clearly couldn't recognise which was green and red but it still knew that if you wanted to cross the road safely that was where people went.

Animals are definitely adapting to urban life, never heard of birds trolling drivers with traffic cones though, they're probably doing it so they don't get run over if they're crossing the road because they must have observed that drivers avoid the cones.
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@thecryptofiend · 
That is both awesome and adorable.  I bet if they could lift the cones and stand them up they would do that too.  I am always amazed by bird intelligence given how comparatively small their brains are and the lack of a neocortex.
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