![]() Among the drum stick makers, some liked to make them long and skinny, whilst others had a preference for short and fat sticks. ![]() The team found some males prefer seed pod tools, while others prefer to make drum sticks. ![]() They did this by “patiently stalking” the birds – known for being shy and elusive – through the rainforest with a video camera and collecting discarded tools after the males were finished with them. While the musical ability of the large smoky grey birds has been known for a long time, Professor Heinsohn and his team are the first to secure enough footage and drumming tools to analyse it. “The females watch every move, while the males demonstrate their immense bill strength when they snip through up to three centimetres of hard wood,” he said. The use of tools among animals is rare on its own, but according to Professor Heinsohn, the use of tools for a musical display is almost unheard of. Watching them whittling their tools down to the shape they want is like watching a master wood sculptor at work.” “Now we know there is also highly individualised expression in the crafting of the tool. “We already knew they have highly personalised rhythms when they drum, allowing other birds to recognise who is drumming from a long way away. ![]() “This feels like icing on the cake, because it shows that each male makes his musical tool in a different way,” Professor Heinsohn said. Palm cockatoos have individual preferences when it comes to their musical tools. ![]()
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