Are WILD cockatoos smart enough to solve this puzzle?
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended in cockatoo threads as a fun and remarkable demonstration of the birds' problem-solving ability.
What it is
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.
Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2021 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Recommends ehnto · 2021-05 · on “All About Cockatoos (2002)”
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:
Recommends metayrnc · 2025-06 · on “Cockatoos have learned to operate drinking fountains in Australia”
Highly recommend this youtube channel for anyone interested in the problem solving capabilities of these birds. [this video]
Cites sircastor · 2021-07 · on “Australia’s trash bin-raiding cockatoos”
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]
Cites edrxty · 2022-09 · on “Is bin-opening in cockatoos leading to an innovation arms race with humans?”
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]