One day in 2025, Jane perched facing a computer screen. The screen’s top half displayed a black circle on a magenta background. The bottom half had a black arrow on white. After what appeared to be a moment of deliberation, Jane extended her neck and touched the circle. Small pellets of food appeared in the tray before her. Then, the magenta was replaced by green. 

When she touched the circle this time, the screen flashed a bright red before reverting to green. This time, no food appeared. Jane looked at the screen, checked the tray, and looked at the screen again. Then, she touched the arrow. A new background appeared, and with that came the renewed possibility of obtaining more food.

Jane is a Goffin’s cockatoo housed at the Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine (UVM), Vienna. With 14 of her peers, she has helped researchers demonstrate that the parrots can recognise and adapt to permanent non-functionality — the notion of something that previously worked ceasing to be functional in a specific context.