CLAW PREFERENCE - 5 minutes Is your bird right- or left-handed?
It's likely that your bird is either right- or left-handed. In the wild it makes sense to have a claw preference, because in emergencies, one side of the body will take the lead. Why left or right are dominant is open to debate, but in some species, it has some amazing consequences.
What do I need?
A plastic or cardboard tube that is wide enough for your bird to reach into with its claw, but not with its beak
A pet treat or toy
Step 1: Put the treat inside the tube, near the end.
Step 2: Hold the tube directly in front of your bird.
Step 3: Encourage your bird to get the treat.
Step 4: Do this twice more. How does your bird react?
Results:
A - Bird uses left claw most of the time
B - Bird uses right claw most of the time
C - Difficult to tell
If option A - Your bird appears to be left-handed. Left-handedness in humans is often associated with creativity and a natural musical ability. Maybe your bird has hidden talents as well!
If option B - Your bird appears to be right-handed. Right-handedness in humans is often associated with language ability and a logical mind. There is some evidence that right-handed animals can be better at remembering and using words, so maybe your bird understands more of your conversation than you had thought!
If option C - It could be that your bird has no preference; in other words, they could be ambidextrous. In some animals this has been shown to be unhelpful. It's often good to have a dominant hand to lead the way.
