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Science Experiments to Do to Learn About Parrots

Parrots are amazing creatures with a lot to teach about bird behavior. Observing and recording their behaviors over time, as well as their responses to different stimuli, can become a great way to learn more about them. Begin by asking a question about something that can be answered with evidence, and then make a hypothesis. After that, set up an experiment to test it. Refer to your data when answering your question. No matter what you do to learn more about them, make sure your experiment is first and foremost mindful of a parrot's well being.

What Kind of Food do Parrots Prefer?
- Bananas may be one of the foods you offer to a parrot.
  
  Learn what kind of food parrots prefer by offering a variety of foods to it and observing/recording what it eats throughout the day, for several days. You might want to offer a dish of its normal seed mix, a dish of peanuts, a dish of cracked corn, a dish of berries, a banana, a few orange slices and a dish of sunflower seeds. Is there one food in particular that the parrot seems to prefer? Refer to your data to answer this question. Make sure to mind freshly cut fruits and vegetables to make sure they do not rot. Do parrots prefer seeds or fruits from their native region or something more local, such as apples or blueberries? Be sure to research each food to make sure that it is safe for parrots.
What do Parrots do During the Day?
- Are parrots most lively in the morning?
  
  Print out a checklist of parrot behaviors that you can use to record what is done at different times of the day. Include "event" behaviors, such as singing, calling, talking, preening, feeding, wing-flapping and drinking. Include "states-of-being" behaviors, such as resting, sleeping or loafing. Use your checklist to create a pie graph to show what percentage of each day your parrot spends doing these different things. Compare the results to what is known about bird behavior (e.g.; birds are known to sing most in the morning).
What is the Best Way for Parrots to Learn New Words?
- You can record phrases on a tape recorder or play them from a computer.
  
  Pick a phrase you would like to teach your parrot. Play a recording of this phrase and play it a certain number of times in front of your bird. If you have access to another parrot, teach the second parrot another phrase using a direct instruction, saying the same phrase the same number of times. If you don't have a second bird, repeat the direct instruction process with the first bird using a different phrase. This procedure may last several days, depending on the parrot you are working with. Which method is more effective at teaching a parrot phrases?
Can Music Affect a Parrot's Behavior?
- Do different kinds of music elicit different behaviors in birds?
  
  Play a variety of songs from different genres; try songs with a strong beat (disco, pop), classical, country, rap and folk. Play the music next to your parrot at a reasonable volume and record what kind of behaviors your parrot exhibits while each song is playing. Parrots -- like the famous cockatoo, Snowball -- have been recorded dancing to the beat of songs from The Backstreet Boys and Queen. Can your parrot dance? Does your parrot's behavior change depending on the song that is playing? Does it seem to prefer one kind of music over another?

Animals & Science