Effects of foraging enrichment on the behaviour of parrots

Coulton, LE; Waran, NK; Young, RJ

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to enrich parrot enclosures by creating foraging opportunities appropriate for the species and to investigate the possible preference for a variable versus a constant food supply. The foraging device comprised of a length of wood (2×0.08×0.08m) with 50 holes (0.02m diameter x 0,02m depth) drilled into one face. Food was placed in the holes of the foraging device in one of two distributions: ‘constant’, one food item in every hole (total = 50 food items) or ‘variable’, 5 food items in 10 of the holes (total = 50 food items). The holes were then covered with starch paper. During the enrichment period the parrots spent significantly more time allopreening than in the baseline or post-enrichment periods. The results also provide some evidence of contrafreeloading in parrots, but no preference for a variable over a constant food source. The study shows that providing extra foraging opportunities for parrots is a useful form of enrichment.

Citation

Coulton, L., Waran, N., & Young, R. (1997). Effects of foraging enrichment on the behaviour of parrots. Animal Welfare Journal, 6(4), 357-363. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600020066

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 1997-11
• Deposit Date: Jul 15, 2023
• Journal: Animal Welfare
• Print ISSN: 0962-7286
• Publisher: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 357-363
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600020066