I'm sure most of you have already seen Snowball the Dancing Cockatoo

[xiphias]

Now, most of you have probably seen this already -- the AP picked it up, so it's been on the broadcast news occasionally. But, for those of you who haven't see it yet -- or who want to see it again: Snowball.

Here's his YouTuibe video -- warning: Backstreet Boys music. But it's worth it.

Snowball is not, of course, the only cockatoo that dances -- put music on with a good beat, and start bobbing your head, and many cockatoos will dance along with you. But Snowball just has better moves than most birds. Okay, Snowball has better moves than 99% of the people at a nightclub.

There is apparently some argument among ornithologists about whether this is REALLY dancing or not. Cockatoos, say some ornithologists, are simply very social animals, so they're probably just using their usual display behaviors, and maybe mimicking their human if the human is bopping to the music. Or they're just using their usual display behaviors and doing them to the beat.

But, see, as far as I can tell, that's a pretty good description of "dancing". That bi

Comments

The bird to the left of him is bopping too

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

You can just barely see it through the cage bars, and he or she is squawking between the cockatoo's yells.

[yardlong.livejournal.com]

That's really cute. :)

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I am amazed.

[felis-sidus.livejournal.com]

It's the foot action in the latter half of the video that just slays me.

[rosefox]

I'm apparently missing whatever makes this so compelling. I ended up skipping ahead a bit and just saw more of the same. Does the bird start breakdancing or something, and I just missed it?

[cellio]

He gets some pretty good rhythm around the 40-50% mark, and the "bows" at the very end made me laugh.

[ailbhe]

Wow!!!

[ailbhe]

There was boogie, moshing, and the cha-cha in there *laugh* - Linnea and I are delighted. I think my favourite bit is the sideways head swoop, but I love the rocker-hands bit too.

The timing is about as good as Linnea's.

[practicallyfame.livejournal.com]

My birds do that sometimes. Hee hee. Love it.

snowball the dancing cockatoo

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

they all seem to bop (the dancing cockatoos i've seen), but snowball is extremely good at keeping time to the music for the entire song. most of them don't seem to "get" that.

frostee here isn't anywhere as good at it, but he has some cool moves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6CrCBDt2M4

your post cut off unexpectedly after "good description of "dancing". That bi".

Re: snowball the dancing cockatoo

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can't remember what I was going to say. Something like "that bird can boogie", I think.