alt Hacker NewsThe why part is the most interesting because seemingly there no obvious answer to it though I like the “pure taste” theory.
>So why did the cockatoos gravitate to drinking fountains in the first place, when plenty of other water sources such as puddles and creeks are available? Perhaps they have developed a taste for the purer fountain water, Klump says. Or the elevated fountain perch helps them spot approaching predators such as eagles and falcons.
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It also seems like it would be more fun and mentally stimulating to operate a water fountain which is a reason to do it that I wouldn't put past a cockatoo given how smart they are.
Anyone who's spent long enough observing animals knows the reason... Animals are fucking lazy, why travel to find water when you can hang out, drink from an automatic machine and harass locals into feeding you and/or steal from them?
Cats are known to prefer running water - probably as it's more likely to be fresher and not stagnant. Maybe a similar thing applies here.
> So why did the cockatoos gravitate to drinking fountains in the first place
Some species of birds, like cockatoos, like puzzles. They like to figure things out.
skateboards are also terrible transportation devices, especially down stairs and handrails... :)
As a bird owner, they get bored. They like to play like dogs, but in 3d. They also have musical rhythm.
It’s kinda comical. Like gee I wonder why they want to drink cool delicious clean water from a tap, not dank stagnant water from puddles. What a mystery for the ages!
Of course I understand that in the context of scientific research you can’t just assume, it’s just a bit absurd from the outside.