One of the most fascinating aspects of being human is our ability to learn by observing not just what happens to us, but what happens to others. We see someone perform an action, and without being directly taught, we pick it up ourselves. This skill—known as third-party imitation—has long been considered a uniquely human trait, a cornerstone of how cultures, traditions, and knowledge are passed from one generation to the next.
But recent research has revealed that we are not alone in this ability. A groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports has shown that blue-throated macaws, a strikingly intelligent species of parrot, can also learn by watching interactions between others. This discovery not only challenges our assumptions about human uniqueness but also shines a light on the sophisticated social intelligence of these remarkable birds.
Beyond Simple Mimicry
Imitation in animals is not new to science. Parrots, in particular, are famous for mimicking human speech and even certain gestures. Primates, too, have demonstrated the ability to copy behaviors when directly shown how to solve a task—what scientists call second-party imitation. A chimpanzee, for example, might learn to open a puzzle box after watching a human demonstrate the solution.
But third-party imitation is something altogether different. Instead of learning directly from a teacher, it involves observing the interaction between others and extracting knowledge from that exchange. For humans, this is second nature. A child watching two adults interact can learn how to greet someone or how to resolve a conflict without ever being directly instructed. For animals, however, this level of social learning has rarely been documented—until now.
Why Blue-Throated Macaws?
The researchers chose blue-throated macaws for this study for good reason. These parrots, native to Bolivia, are highly social creatures. In the wild, they live in complex groups where survival often depends on the ability to quickly pick up new behaviors. From finding food to communicating with peers, adaptability is key.
Macaws are also renowned for their intelligence. They can solve puzzles, manipulate objects, and even make simple tools. Their natural gift for mimicry made them ideal candidates to test whether this more advanced form of imitation exists beyond humans and primates.
Inside the Experiment
To test the birds’ abilities, researchers designed a large-scale study involving over 4,600 trials. The birds were divided into two groups. In the test group, macaws watched as one bird performed specific actions—such as fluffing feathers, spinning its body, lifting a leg, flapping wings, or vocalizing—after receiving a hand signal from a human trainer.
Meanwhile, the control group received the same hand signals but never saw another bird demonstrate the correct response. This setup allowed the scientists to separate whether the birds were simply responding to the trainer’s gestures or truly learning from observing another macaw.
The results were striking. The test group not only learned more actions than the control group but also learned them faster and with greater accuracy. Watching the interaction between a human and another macaw gave them the tools to respond correctly themselves. It was clear that third-party imitation was at work.
What This Means for Macaws
This discovery has profound implications for how we understand the social and cultural lives of macaws. The ability to learn through third-party imitation means that they don’t have to rely solely on direct trial-and-error or explicit teaching. Instead, they can absorb knowledge simply by watching others interact—an ability that makes their social learning more flexible and efficient.
Such skills may even give rise to what we might call cultural traditions in parrot groups. Just as humans develop group-specific behaviors—from languages to rituals—macaws may be capable of building shared practices within their flocks. These behaviors can spread rapidly through social networks without every individual needing to be directly taught, creating group identities that echo the cultural richness of human societies.
A Window Into Animal Intelligence
The idea that parrots could have their own “cultures” may seem surprising, but it aligns with growing evidence of intelligence and social complexity in many non-human animals. Whales pass down songs across generations. Elephants remember migration routes taught by elders. Chimpanzees teach each other how to use tools. Now, parrots join this expanding list of species whose lives are more sophisticated than we once imagined.
The finding also prompts an important question: If macaws can do this, how many other animals might be capable of third-party imitation? Could dolphins, crows, or even domesticated species like dogs learn in similar ways? The researchers suggest that future studies expand to include different species and more behaviors, opening the door to a deeper understanding of how widespread this trait might be in the animal kingdom.
Rethinking Our Place in Nature
Discoveries like this remind us that intelligence is not a human monopoly. For too long, science viewed animals through a narrow lens, often dismissing their behaviors as instinctual rather than thoughtful or adaptive. But the more we study them, the clearer it becomes that many animals navigate their lives with creativity, memory, and social awareness.
The macaw study is not just about parrots learning tricks. It is about reimagining how we define culture, communication, and intelligence. It invites us to see ourselves as part of a larger web of life where learning and innovation are shared across species in surprising and beautiful ways.
The Beauty of Shared Learning
In the end, the discovery of third-party imitation in macaws is more than a scientific milestone. It is a reminder of the profound connections we share with the animal world. Just as humans sit in classrooms, watch movies, or observe one another to learn, so too do macaws watch their peers and adapt.
This ability to learn from each other—not just from direct experience—creates a bridge between us and them. It suggests that the roots of culture and shared knowledge may run deeper in the tree of life than we ever dared to imagine.
In the bright feathers and clever eyes of a macaw, we glimpse not only a bird but a fellow learner of the world—a creature capable of watching, understanding, and passing on knowledge. In their story, we find echoes of our own, and in that reflection, a deeper sense of kinship with the living tapestry of Earth.
More information: Esha Haldar et al, Third-party imitation is not restricted to humans, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-11665-9
