These cockatoos carry two tools before they even start

To reach a cashew in a box, Goffin’s cockatoos from an experiment sometimes had to use two successive tools. A rigid element pierced a membrane; a longer and flexible tool was then used to recover the reward. Without a membrane, the first tool became useless. Researchers could vary the needs.

Some birds have adapted their choice to the box presented. The team then complicated the transport: the tools were at a distance from the task, accessible by a ladder or a short flight. Several cockatoos took the two objects together when their successive use was necessary, instead of systematically multiplying the journeys.

This behavior suggests a flexible understanding of the tool set, beyond a simple gesture learned in isolation. It does not show that all cockatoos would do the same, nor that they reason exactly like humans. The interest lies in the differences observed: some individuals prepared suitable equipment before encountering the obstacle to be solved on the platform.