A broken beak and complete prestige.. A rare parrot defeats healthy ones and leads its group | sciences

A recent study revealed a striking case in the animal world, as an endangered parrot succeeded in reaching a leadership position within its group, despite suffering from a severe physical disability.

This case provides a rare example of the ability of living organisms to turn an apparent weakness into a source of strength, according to the study published on April 20 in the journal Current Biology.

The study dealt with the case of a Kea parrot living in New Zealand called “Bruce,” which lost the entire upper part of its beak, which is an essential part that the bird usually uses for eating, defending, and fighting, which was supposed to put it in a weaker position compared to the rest of the males. But the surprise was that Bruce not only survived this disability, but became the dominant male in his group, superior to all his competitors.

How does a “disabled” bird win?

During the observation period, the researchers recorded 227 hostile interactions between group members, including 162 confrontations between males.

In all of these confrontations, Bruce won without being defeated, “an exceptional feat in animal societies that typically rely on physical strength,” according to the study’s lead author, Alexander Grabham, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Grabham explains in statements to Al Jazeera Net that this superiority is explained by an innovative behavior that the bird developed itself. Instead of using the beak in the usual way, it used the exposed lower part of it as an offensive tool, directing quick and direct strikes towards its opponents. The researchers called this method “beak stabbing” because it resembles a forward thrust or stabbing movement, and it is completely different from the traditional fighting methods of other birds.

The results show that this technique was very effective, as it succeeded in removing opponents in about 73% of cases, compared to only about 48% when using kicks, which is the common method among other birds. Bruce also used this method repeatedly and directed his blows at sensitive areas of the body, such as the head and back, which gave him a clear advantage in confrontations.

Leadership is not just about power

Bruce’s superiority was not limited to combat, but was also reflected in his position within the group; It has become the pinnacle of what can be simplified as “status ranking,” that is, the system that determines who dominates and who retreats within the group.

The lead author says that the tests showed that this bird was less exposed to stress compared to the rest of the individuals, which was measured by analyzing stress hormones in its body. He also had priority access to food, as he was often the first to reach feeding places.

The matter did not stop there, but Bruce also received a kind of social support, as other birds cleaned his beak – a cooperative behavior usually observed between close individuals – which indicates his high status and acceptance within the group.

The researchers believe that what happened with Bruce represents the first documented evidence of an animal suffering from a clear disability, but reaching a position of dominance based on behavioral innovation alone, without relying on alliances or special support from others.

This challenges the traditional idea that links superiority in the animal world only to physical strength or to the natural tools that an organism possesses, such as teeth or claws. This case shows that the ability to adapt and innovate new solutions can sometimes be more important.

The results also shed light on what is known as behavioral flexibility, that is, an animal’s ability to change its way of dealing with the world around it when it encounters a problem. This ability is more evident in creatures with developed brains, such as parrots. Researchers believe that such cases help understand how behaviors change in animals, and how organisms, including humans, can adapt to disabilities or difficult conditions in unexpected ways.