When we feel lonely(孤单的), we can call or video chat(视频聊天) with our friends and family. But what about our pet parrots? Can making video calls to each other help them feel less lonely, too? To find out the answer, some scientists from Northeastern University did a study.
The idea for this study came from the fact that parrots are used to(习惯于) living in large groups in the forest. But when they are kept in people's homes as pets, they are often on their own. Lonely parrots are unhappy. They may act strangely, and they often get sick(生病的) easily.
"Over 20 million parrots are kept as pets in the US, so it's necessary to help those birds get in touch with other birds, "said Dr. Jennifer Cunha.
During the first month of the study, scientists taught 18 pet birds how to make video calls. In the next two months, 15 pet birds could make video calls freely. They made 147 video calls to other birds. Surprisingly, they often choose the same parrot"friend"to talk to over and over again. And the parrots making the most calls also got more calls.
Dr. Jennifer Cunha said, "We saw some great results from the study. Some of the parrots liked to sing and play more after having video calls with each other. Some of them learned new skills(技能)from their online friends, like flying, looking for food and making new sounds. Some even wanted to show their friends their toys. In a word, these birds came to life through the calls. "
