The Tanimar Archipelago in Indonesia found that hoffin cockada use tree branches as cutlery for erecting edible marine mango bones, which, despite its external similarity with ordinary mangoes, have a bitter taste. The study of this phenomenon proved to be very challenging, since the cockad of hoffin, whose property of hiding from people and choosing complex places for living, is difficult to observe in the wild.
Researchers at the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine studied these birds that were caught in nature and kept in the field aviary. Dr. Mark O'hara noted a high level of agility, which was demonstrated in the manufacture and use of cutlery.
Researchers provided flocks of cockatoo tropical fruits that these birds consumed in the wild, and watched as one of them used a branch as a tool for processing marine mango. According to the study, two of the 15 individuals used "cutlery".
Scientists classified "cutlery" as intended: strong thick branches were used to break the fruits, thin - for piercing the shell around the seeds, medium -sized tools - for seed extraction. It is important to note that this behavior is not instinctive, but acquired, which indicates its own learning process in birds that use tools.
