FW: [canberrabirds] Are Sulphur-crested coctatoos ever right-toed?

[Geoffrey Dabb <>]

I have previously pointed out that photos can be easily flipped (sometimes for artistic reasons like – I believe – one on an edition of ‘Birds of the Australian High Country’).   Sometimes a gymnastic species like a Gang-gang will take food in the right foot to deal with the challenge of gravity

 

From: sandra henderson [
Sent: Monday, 15 June 2015 5:45 PM
To: Lia Battisson
Cc: Neil Williams; Cog line
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Are Sulphur-crested coctatoos ever right-toed?

 

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/02/07/3131593.htm reports on some extensive research on handedness in parrots - and confirms that almost all sulphur-crested cockies are left-footed when holding things. Some other species are almost exclusively right-footed. Newly fledged sulphur-cresteds used either foot.

 

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/ganggang-canberrans-search-for-rare-righthanded-cockatoos-20150127-12wqcy.html is from earlier this year, and Ian Warden confirms he's seen just one using its right foot, and a reader had submitted a photo of one.

 

 

sandra h

 

On Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 3:12 PM, Lia Battisson <> wrote:

Wouldn’t that mean that they are right-footed?  I think it would take as much dexterity to balance on the other foot!

 

From:

Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2015 5:40 PM

To:

Subject: [canberrabirds] Are Sulphur-crested coctatoos ever right-toed?

 

 

Walking around the Inner South (Kingston, Manuka, Griffith, Narrabundah, Forrest, Red Hill etc) at the moment one see’s large numbers of S-CC on nature strips feed on acorns.

 

The S-CC’s all seem to hold the acorns up to eat with their left leg and  toes.  Has anyone ever seen a right-toed S-CC?

 

Neil Williams