World Science Festival 2009: Snowball, the dancing cockatoo, at the 2009 World Science Festival

[cockatoosmom]

I have 8 of these birds! They are amazing!

[toothfareie]

lmfao backstreet boys

[JOHNCASAUR]

Dewd this is some funny shewt

[RabbitMB]

wonder how'd he dance to some filthy dubstep, awesome bird

[artintheforest]

they should have changed the tempo or bpm to see if the bird would adjust to it like the lady said

[HoboNetWeaver]

That bird got scientists to dance on a stage. Remarkable!

[thegreatestoffools]

Very amusing, but hardly convincing evidence that it's responding to the music, as opposed to the encouragement of the owner. They should do a double blind to see.

[OonaCanute]

@thegreatestoffools You can watch the other videos of Snowball. He doesn't usually dance with a person; he dances on his own.

[realShortcut]

hahahha

Danger dancing NERDS !!!!

[SithSebasIII]

OHHH NOOOO dancing nerds!!!!

[doggletts]

Because of Snowball and other birds on Youtube, it has been proven that some species of birds can dance to the beat. This is due to the ability to mimic. They also have to learn to move and be familiar with music. I have a cockatiel that can tap in time to music or repeat beats given to him. It is just interesting how arrogant some humans are about the abilities and emotions of other species. Snowball loves to dance and is obviously having fun, and the people are having fun, too.

[gypsydancer64]

@doggletts that's so right. I rescued a pigeon a month ago and when I play dave Brubeck Take 5 every night she turns around about 7 times and bobes her head up and down, but she doesn't do it as much for other songs. Strangely enough that song is my dog's favorite, cause he howls and tried to hit the same notes as the sax but doesn't do it for other songs either. So it is true animals can appreciate music, and they also can have favorite songs just like humans. Isn't it great?

[Bimm3rcc]

the guy to the far right know how to groove haha..

Still LAME how an animal can control all the humans on that show.. omg.. how stupid

[gypsydancer64]

@Bimm3rcc I think it's adorable that bird can have humans in a trance! he rocks!

[Kahrupay]

Does not necessarily mean that the bird understands the tempo nor the relation between dancing and tempo. To me it's more like repeating what the trainer does (or have been doing in training sessions). The good practice could be asking the trainer putting earphones with a different music just for her, with a different tempo of course. The trainer would dance with a different tempo of what the bird hears, then we could see if the bird acts based on trainer's dancing tempo or the outside music.

[simurgh3]

Actually, the bird does dance to different beats - Snowball has been in studies that show this. He dances by himself w/out prompting - ck other videos. Bird have innate sense of music because it is how they learn to sing (birdsong). They mimic what they hear - that is how they learn. Humans do the same, in learning to talk.

[Hideeverything]

he is actually dancing to the beat 'cause when the clap beats he moves his paw and if you watch carefully the lady isn't doing nothing different on the second or the other beats, so in a 4/4 tempo the bird moves his paw in the 2nd and the 4th like the clap on the song, so his moving to the beat, that is called dancing

[rpash24]

This bird is not dancing! If you notice when the music starts the bird moves down the perch so it is in front of his trainer. Then once the trainer starts bouncing up and down the bird just follows along. NOT DANCING!

[ghuaji]

So true. Just another human stupidity show. Nothing in common with science.,.

[TobiasNobodysHero]

They say he dances to different beats depending on music's tempo, then bounce up & down in front of him to the beat of the music. I'm insulted this is at a science gathering. They don't discount the possibility/likelihood he's just mimicking/mirroring, as some birds tend to do. If that's the case it'd be less than nothing special. The bird turning on music itself, then dancing on beat, both w/o urging or guidance; now that'd be science festival worthy. As is this just advertises human stupidity.

[Zorg2006]

I am guessing this bird does dance to different beats, but agree they chose a really poor demonstration that doesn't show what he can do!

[cawms01]

Watch the other videos. The scientists actually manipulated the beat to songs and the bird changed his moves to fit. Usually he's not watching others.

[TobiasNobodysHero]

I watched a couple others; have yet to see one where someone wasn't boogieing down within Snowball's viewing range. I would however be interested to see such proof.

[TobiasNobodysHero]

Then Snowball would be a much more scientifically fascinating creature instead of another colorful distraction to be gazed at by the masses eyes; keeping their conditioned minds deeply occupied with such extravagance as a moving white bird w/ a cute name instead of focusing on the many growing tragedies at hand in our present day putrid excuse for a functioning society.

Saddest thing is not just how we allow this to happen, by not standing up, but how we actively do stupid to ourselves.

[vanillakiss66]

sorry i dont mean to get involved in this i just wanted to point out that in one of the videos of Snowball dancing on top of that chair, you see him turn around so that his back is facing the camera and there was clearly no one in his view... and he was still dancing... does that count as proof?

[gypsydancer64]

@TobiasNobodysHero Tobias Sweetheart, relax. I try to help myseries in this world.I feed homeless animals and humans with my own hard earned money. I don't have fancy furniture, clothing or jewelery. I cut and color my own hair so as not to waste money that can go to the helpless. Please let me relax for an hour at night looking at this video and others that make me smile and laugh, so I won't have my whole entire life thinking of the misery out there and go nuts. Every one needs an outlet.

[TobiasNobodysHero]

Oh yeah, if you have a url of a video where people aren't giving him a bounce to mirror, please provide it. I will happily go witness said video and admit I was wrong, as well as earnestly apologies for stating such falsehoods as truths.

~Tobias

[gypsydancer64]

@TobiasNobodysHero oh there are many videos of him dancing by himself and then you can see another bird in a cage near him dancing to the song but that bird doesn't have as good rhythem. You know like someone that doesn't know how to dance. Look it up and enjoy. Have a great day!

[TobiasNobodysHero]

@gypsydancer64 Cool. I'll check it out. That'd be pretty neat. Thanks.

[homycups]

You know, I was reading the comments before I watched the video, and I came across your comment and thought to myself what a jerk! Originally, I was coming to tell you not to be so arrogant and if you don't particularly enjoy it then just move along and watch something else. Yet I watched it, and kind of agree with you. Ha!

[TobiasNobodysHero]

HA! That's funny to hear,....

You know, that fits right along with what I'm always thinking; I believe that in most every area people find me arrogant, they would really, honestly agree with me; if only they took the time to observe, as well as digest,  accurate information on the topic my perceived arrogance pertains to.

Thanks!

[GoodNamesWereUsed]

he's a better dancer than the scientists

[chiforinfuro]

scientists cant dance

[zakira89]

He makes joke of all them!

[worldsciencefestival]

Embedding is now enabled - enjoy!

[BesttBi]

Thank you very much, Worldsciencefestival.

[badger500]

Everything was going fine until the words "shall we?"