概要 Many behavioral scientists see observational learning as an important manifestation of intelligence in nonhuman species. They studied foraging, mate choice, song learning and tool use as primary candidates for social learning. A further, yet less frequently studied and perhaps also taxonomically less wide-spread condition under which social learning may be adaptive is exploratory or curiosity behaviour.
Keas (Nestor notabilis), the alpine parrots of New Zealand’s south island, has for a century been used as an example of curiosity in birds. Moreover, this species shows a variety of social behaviors, including elaborate play, and also object-exploration is firmly bound to the general activities of the group. These species-specific predispositions invite to study social learning in the context of object exploration in Keas. Indeed, first experiments in our lab have shown that the performance and success of young keas with a multi-functional object proved to be strongly influenced by the observation of an experienced group member. Although there was no evidence of imitation, we found a striking difference between observers and non-observers in their success to open the box. I concluded that they understood the change in the world produced by the manipulations of the model, by using what they have learned in devising their own behavioral strategies.