Cockatoos perform 30 distinct dance moves and may combine them in unique ways

Captive cockatoos have at least 30 different dance moves in their repertoire, including headbanging and body rolls, according to a study by Natasha Lubke at Charles Sturt University in Australia, and colleagues, publishing August 6, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One. The moves, of which 17 are newly identified, may be performed with or without music.

Several species of parrot have been anecdotally observed dancing to music in captivity. Dancing results from complex brain processes including imitation, learning and synchronized, rhythmic movement. Spontaneous dancing in time to music has only been reported in humans and parrots, although some wild birds also display rhythmic movements as part of their courtship displays. However, what motivates captive birds to dance remains unclear.

Researchers analyzed 45 videos posted on social media that showed cockatoos (Cacatuidae) dancing. They identified a total of 30 distinct dance movements — 17 of which had not previously been described scientifically. These newly identified dance moves included headbanging, sidesteps and body rolls. The researchers found that some birds also performed their own individual dance moves, often by combining several of the movements in unique ways. Closely related species did not display more similar dances, and each species had a unique top 10 most common dance moves.

Next, the researchers investigated dancing behavior in six cockatoos from three species housed at Wagga Wagga Zoo in Australia. They played the birds music, an audio podcast, or no audio, and found that all birds performed dance moves, regardless of whether music was being played or not. The study reveals that dancing behavior is present in at least 10 out of 21 species of cockatoo. Cockatoos appear to display a wide repertoire of dance moves, many of which are similar to the courtship displays of wild parrots. This suggests that their dancing abilities may have originated as courtship behavior that has been redirected towards their owners.

The authors say that further research is needed to determine whether the birds enjoy dancing and whether encouraging this behavior could improve welfare for captive cockatoos.

Ms Lubke adds: “By analyzing dance behavior of cockatoos from 45 YouTube videos as well as cockatoos at Wagga Wagga Zoo and Aviary, I showed that dancing behavior is more common in cockatoos than previously thought and was seen in 10 of the 21 cockatoo species. My analysis also indicated that dancing is far more complex and varied than previously thought, recording 30 different movements seen in multiple birds and a further 17 movements that were seen in only one bird.”

“As well as supporting the presence of positive emotions in birds and advancing dance behavior as an excellent model to study parrot emotions, the work suggests that playing music to parrots may provide a useful approach to enrich their lives in captivity, with positive effects on their welfare.” 

Professor Freire adds: “The similarities with human dancing make it hard to argue against well-developed cognitive and emotional processes in parrots, and playing music to parrots may improve their welfare. Further research would be beneficial to determine if music can trigger dance in captive birds and serve as a form of environmental enrichment.”

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/3U3l1LL

Citation: Lubke N, Held SD, Massaro M, Freire R (2025) Dance behaviour in cockatoos: Implications for cognitive processes and welfare. PLoS One 20(8): e0328487. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328487

Author countries: Australia, U.K.

Funding: Tri-Faculty Open Access publication grant.