Cockatoos are in a “cultural arms race“ with Sydney residents and their bins

In a long-fought battle being waged over residential rubbish bins in Sydney, the score so far is humans 3: cockatoos 2. But the residents cannot relax - as fast as they come up with new ways to stop the sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) from raiding the bins, the birds are working out ways to defeat them. It’s a classic example of cultural evolution arms race, says Barbara Klump at the Max-Planck-Institute of Animal Behavior in Radolfzell, Germany. Subscribe ➤ Get more from New Scientist: Official website: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: LinkedIn: About New Scientist: New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human. New Scientist