Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
Published on: May 13, 2022
Goffin's cockatoos make the same tool type from different materials
Alice M I Auersperg1, Stefan Borasinski2, Isabelle Laumer2
1Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria alice.auersperg@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Abstract:
Innovative tool manufacture is rare and hard to isolate in animals. We show that an Indonesian generalist parrot, the Goffin's cockatoo, can flexibly and spontaneously transfer the manufacture of stick-type tools across three different materials. Each material required different manipulation patterns, including substrates that required active sculpting for achieving a functional, elongated shape.
Related Concept Videos
Ferrocement
Brick Cutting Techniques
Cut bricks are categorized by size. Bricks cut to half their original length are called half-bats, while those cut to three-fourths their length are known as three-fourth bats.
Special types of...
Steel Fastening Techniques
Rivets are cylindrical steel fasteners with a specially designed head. During application, rivets are heated until white-hot and then inserted through pre-drilled holes in the steel sections. A pneumatic hammer is used to shape the exposed end into a second head, securing the sections together.
Bolting is another...
Introduction to Wood
The structural integrity of the...
Wood Fasteners
Nails are the most common fasteners, consisting of sharp-pointed metal pins that are driven into wood using a hammer or a mechanical nail gun. They come in a variety of diameters, heads, and lengths. Nailing techniques include...
Problem-Solving: Tuning of a Guitar String
The string's wave speed can be regulated by varying the linear density. Tension is the other property that determines the speed of...

