Read the section "Parrots Did Not Pass Rings For Fun."

Select the paragraph from the section that shows why scientists think African grey parrots might help each other complete tasks.

Far fewer rings were passed between birds when there was no human signal and no hole to pass the ring. This suggests the parrots did not pass rings for fun. The parrots also passed fewer rings when there was no neighbor.

The message, the team said, is that the African grey parrots were helping peers with a task. They added that the behavior is more complex than sharing food. It involves understanding the needs of another bird to reach a goal.

The team said African grey parrots form huge flocks at night. Then they split into smaller groups during the day to look for food. Brucks said that being helpful might help the birds gain a good standing with others. That could make it more likely they would team up on tasks.

By contrast, blue-headed macaws might value other things. They live in smaller, more stable flocks. They might have more defined leaders and less emphasis on sharing. In another task, the team found these birds were less eager than African grey parrots to share food.