In Sydney, sulfur-crested cockatoos have shown remarkable adaptability by learning to open drinking fountains using their feet and lift the lids of public garbage cans to find food scraps. This behavior has become a challenge for local residents, who have started using weights or sticks to secure their bins. Despite these efforts, the birds continue to find ways around the barriers. These cockatoos are not only capable of learning these skills themselves but also passing them on to other members of their flock and even neighboring groups. Lucy Aplin, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Zurich, is studying these birds to understand how social learning influences the spread of behaviors. Sulfur-crested cockatoos are among the most intelligent birds in the parrot family, known for their ability to mimic human speech and learn new sounds. Aplin’s research suggests that while intelligence is important, the spread of a new skill within a species also depends on the birds’ behavioral flexibility and their social connections. To study these behaviors, Aplin and her team have conducted various experiments, including one with a male cockatoo named Watermelon, who solved a series of puzzles to get an almond. Researchers wear blue coveralls and use whistles to identify themselves to the cockatoos, who have become used to human presence. They also use paint markings and genetic samples to track individual birds and their interactions. Sydney’s cockatoos have lived in urban environments for only a few generations, yet they have adapted well to the city’s expansion. Their large, highly connected brains—comparable in size to those of capuchin monkeys—allow them to process information quickly. Researchers have used citizen science apps to collect data on how the birds open garbage cans, revealing that the process is both physically and mentally challenging. In one experiment, the spread of a behavior—eating colorful almonds—was observed to move quickly through their social network, highlighting how rapidly new behaviors can be learned and shared. While similar social learning has been seen in other birds like crows and great tits, cockatoos are more curious and innovative, often embracing new situations rather than avoiding them.