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Are WILD cockatoos smart enough to solve this puzzle?

Are WILD cockatoos smart enough to solve this puzzle? on HackerTube: recommended by 2 Hacker News commenters across 2 separate months, 2021–2025.

Maker's Muse

demo · evergreen

Open on YouTube

Maker's Muse designs a 3D-printed and laser-cut puzzle box to test whether wild sulphur-crested cockatoos can solve it. He documents how the birds work it out.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended in cockatoo threads as a fun and remarkable demonstration of the birds' problem-solving ability.

people recommended it
2
separate months
2
strong recommendations
0
discussed on HN
2021–2025
“it's really remarkable to watch them figure it out”
— ehnto, May 2021, in “All About Cockatoos (2002)”

What HN commenters said

4 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.

metayrncJun 2025Recommends

Highly recommend this youtube channel for anyone interested in the problem solving capabilities of these birds. ▶ this video

in “Cockatoos have learned to operate drinking fountains in Australia” · View on HN

ehntoMay 2021Recommends

My childhood freind had a Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo that would follow him to school and just hang out until he was out for lunch. Sometimes he would find his way into the classroom, he was a super smart bird and knew how to get the windows open on some of the rooms. My mum helps with rescue birds sometimes and now has a Gullah, which for anyone familiar is a pink/white cockatoo very similar to a sulfur-crested cockatoo. He's so smart, knows tonnes of words. songs and situations, and knows that when the cat shows up he can refer to it as "Pus pus pus". The YouTube channel MakersMuse 3D printed some puzzles for wild birds to solve on his porch, it's really remarkable to watch them figure it out: ▶ this video The Australian Magpie is also extremely intelligent, surprisingly they're not part of the Corvus family but they are very, very similar.

in “All About Cockatoos (2002)” · View on HN

edrxtySep 2022Cites it

Cockatoos can be highly intelligent. They're known to be able to solve fairly complicated puzzles and have the added bonus of having bolt cutters for a face. ▶ this video [link]

in “Is bin-opening in cockatoos leading to an innovation arms race with humans?” · View on HN

sircastorJul 2021Cites it

Angus of Maker’s Muse posted a video last year about creating puzzles for the local wild cockatoos. They’re very smart birds. [1] ▶ this video

in “Australia’s trash bin-raiding cockatoos” · View on HN

Topics & tags

Animals & nature3D printing, CNC & maker projectscockatoosanimal cognitionpuzzle box3d printingmaker