Watch: Parrots Playing Basketball

Excellent animal-training skills have transformed these four baby parrots into formidable competitors (notice that the female eclectus parrot never loses the ball once she’s got it in her beak)

by GrrlScientist for ScienceBlogs.com | @GrrlScientist

NOTE: Originally published under the title, “Amazing basketball playing parrots”.

This amazing video of parrots playing basketball is fascinating watching because it shows the results of patience combined with excellent animal training techniques. This video shows clips from “1 on 1” and “2 on 2” basketball games, starring parrots, Bo and Yoda (Congo African grey parrots, Psittacus erithacus) and Hannah and Gustav (Solomon Islands Eclectus parrots, Eclectus roratus solomonensis).

Originally published at scienceblogs.com on 31 August 2009.