"Understanding the social systems of parrots is critical to understanding social processes, such as vocal learning and the spread of behaviors, and can also give us greater insight into how social and cognitive complexity evolved in other species," explained lead author Elizabeth Hobson, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis.
"Many parrot species are threatened or endangered and increased understanding of how parrots structure their social interactions could also improve our ability to manage these populations," Hobson added.
In this Science Minute from NIMBioS, Dr. Elizabeth Hobson explains what monk parakeets can teach us about complex sociality.
(Photo Credit: NIMBioS)
A new study on monk parakeets reveals a sophisticated social structure with layers of relationships and complex interactions.
(Photo Credit: Steve Baldwin, brooklynparrots.com)
Source: National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)