Who needs Shakira when we’ve got Snowball the sulfur-crested cockatoo?
Adorable little Snowball debuted his amazing moves in 2007 and won over a million hearts. More recently he has helped scientists understand the biological characteristics that different species share with human beings.
For years, humans have prided themselves for possessing several traits superior to those possessed by other species. However, This YouTube sensation known for his stellar toe-tapping to ‘Everybody’ by The Backstreet Boys, is all set to challenge these beliefs.
A new study was conducted on the dancing parrot where he showcased 14 distinct moves reported The Guardian. I bet us, humans wouldn’t mind a dancing lesson or two from Snowball either.
A report released by Current Biology in 2009 noted that Snowball seemed to possess an advanced ability to synchronize to musical beats vis a vis monkeys, a species more closely related to humans. Scientists speculate that this is because parrots, like humans, are vocal learners.
It is common knowledge that birds like peacocks are known to dance in mating and courtship rituals. But until now, no-one knew that some birds have the innate ability to dance to music.
In 2009, scientists were unable to ascertain whether Snowball’s movements were an imitation of his human owners or part of a mating ritual. The new report, however, highlights 14 new dance moves performed by Snowball without any prior training.
The Guardian also reported on how researchers are now exposing Snowball to Billy Idol’s Dancing With Myself to see whether he can dance like no one’s watching and quite literally so.
Well, we hope Snowball can dance alone or with people because we can’t get enough of his moves!
(With inputs from The Guardian and Science Direct)
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