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Parrot performs 16 dance moves, scientists say
The recent study suggests there are five distinct capacities that form key evolutionary prerequisites for dancing to music. (Stock photo)
Snowball appears to have invented some of his own moves 

A parrot in the US can perform 16 distinct dance moves, some of which he appears to have invented himself, according to a new study.

The research, published in Current Biology, suggests that, like humans, parrots can respond to music using a wide variety of movements and body parts.

Over 10 years ago, researchers at Tufts University studied Snowball, a sulphur-crested cockatoo, bobbing his head to the beat of a Backstreet Boys song. This suggested that parrots, unlike most species, have the cognitive ability to anticipate a beat and move to it.

In the latest study, researchers found that Snowball can perform 16 different dance moves, none of which he has been trained to do. His dancing developed through social interaction with people and he appears to have made up some of the moves, as his owner Irene Schulz, a co-author on the study, does not make these moves when she dances with him.

Tufts researchers say that dancing to music is not just an arbitrary product of human culture.

Psychology professor Aniruddh Patel said: “It’s a response to music that arises when certain cognitive and neural capacities come together in animal brains.”

The recent study suggests there are five distinct capacities that form key evolutionary prerequisites for dancing to music.

“We think this helps explain why so few species - and no other primates - share our impulse to move to music in spontaneous and diverse ways,” he added.

Now the team hope to find out whether parrots - like humans - prefer to dance with another of their kind rather than alone.

 

 

Video by Bird Lovers Only Rescue Service

Image (c) Irena Schulz

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Webinar to explore AMR in vet dentistry

News Story 1
 The WSAVA has invited veterinary professionals to a webinar on responsible antibiotic usage in dentistry.

On 19 November 2025, at 1am, Dr J Scott Weese and Dr Brooke Niemiec will share the latest advice for antimicrobial use. They will present research on oral bacterology, and explain how attendees can choose appropriate antibiotics.

The session will cover pre-, intra- and post-operative guidelines, with recommendations for various pathologies.

The webinar is designed to support veterinary professionals to make informed decisions and tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Attendees can register here

Click here for more...
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Dechra launches checklist for veterinary sustainability

Global animal health specialist Dechra has announced the world's first Veterinary Green Theatre Checklist (VGTC) to help make surgery more sustainable.

Endorsed by leading veterinary organisations, including the BEVA, BVNA and RCVS Knowledge, the checklist is designed to reduce the environmental footprint of veterinary care, while supporting better animal health outcomes.

The checklist was launched at the World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia in Paris and will be followed by an internal training and awareness campaign. For more information, visit dechra.com