After two meetings with each new friend, we will coordinate an introduction with your bird’s next friend via Facebook Messenger. Once you have added the new friend, your birds can “meet” through the Facebook Kids Messenger App.

You can communicate with the others in your group in the group chat on Facebook.

Before the birds meet, you and the caregiver for your bird’s first remote partner will do a ‘dry run’ to make sure everything is working. You’ll also do a practice training with the bell and the tablet (without calling the bird partner) and ensure they are feeling comfy with the objects. Be sure to record your practice session with the other caregiver as well as the session with your bird and submit through the portal. We want to make sure everything is set up and good to go!

1. Turn on the recording device.
2. Bell Training:
   • Encourage your bird to touch the bell (and give a treat when they do) – 3 times. (Click here for a quick video demo.)
3. Tablet Box Partner Training:
   • Encourage your bird to touch the picture of their virtual friend (and give a treat when they do) – 3 times. (Click here for a quick video demo.)
4. Virtual Partner Introduction (Click here to see a flow chart for your first introduction)
   • Make sure the audio is turned to mute on the tablet. 
   • Place your bird on a play stand/cage/play area that has a width of at least 3 feet so they can walk/fly away if they wish, and move closer as they feel comfortable.
   • Holding the tablet 3 feet away from your bird, call the bird partner
   • When the call connects (and still standing at least 3 feet away from your bird), point and encourage your bird to look at their friend on the screen. As your bird stays calm and interested, move the tablet closer 6 inches at a time, reassuring and praising them. Assess their behavior at each increment. As they continue to be calm and interested at each increment, move closer again.
   • Once they are comfortable with the tablet near enough to touch the screen, encourage them to watch the screen and say hello to their friend. (They may touch or interact with the screen, and that is ok.)
   • When they are calm and watching the screen within touching distance, begin to turn the volume up slowly, pausing every two volume-up presses to assess whether they are comfortable hearing the friend and their caregivers. 
   • If at any time the bird becomes afraid or uncomfortable, move the tablet farther away from them and allow them to back away as well. Wait until they are calm again and then move forward once more.
   • If your bird is nervous and you cannot reach Step (e) after 5 minutes, email us at parrotstudy@media.mit.edu

Your bird will learn to touch a bell and then touch the messenger box with your bird’s friend on it which will result in a call to your bird’s friend. With repetition, your bird may learn to ring the bell (that will be in their play area) so you can bring the touchscreen with the friend boxes. Then they will touch the box of the friend they wish to call.

If your bird has a negative reaction, move the tablet backward away from your bird until they are calm and interested/watching again. Then bring it slowly forward as they remain calm, while giving them treats for watching and staying calm. If they remain nervous of the tablet for five minutes or longer, contact us.

If your bird is comfortable but the bird on the screen is having a negative reaction, turn the screen away (it should only be a few seconds) and then allow your bird to watch and interact again as the other bird should be “calm” again quickly once the tablet has been backed away.

You can purchase a toy bell on Amazon or use one you already have. Here is one that many of our birds have enjoyed: 

This is done through this link, the upload takes place at the end of your session diary form. This can be accessed via your phone or computer.

This is done through this link, the upload takes place at the end of your session diary form. This can be accessed via your phone or computer.

Yes, you may withdraw at any time. Please email us at parrotstudy@media.mit.edu and we will withdraw you from the study. 

Feel free to email us with any questions. We can be reached at parrotstudy@media.mit.edu

Thank you for your interest. You can click here to register.

Unfortunately the study is limited at this time to only the continental United States and Canada due to time zones.

Participants will be selected based on species-matches with other parrots within the same time-zone to promote ease in facilitating interactive calls. We will not select everyone who is interested, if we do not find a pairing. 

Flexible schedules are just fine. Participants will communicate with one another to set up video play dates with the birds.

Your public Facebook name and public profile will be visible to the others in your bird’s interaction group. The researchers will ask you to submit to use video recordings of your sessions. These videos will only be analyised by us as researchers, used to provide information about the interactive systems. Please be aware that videos may include you if you are in the video. If the videos include content that triggers mandatory reporting obligations, please be advised that the researchers will have a duty to act in accordance with legal requirements.

The researchers will watch in the videos the behavior of the birds as they interact with one another. They will also collect information about how often the birds ask to call one another, and the duration of the calls.

To ensure the comfort of the participants, ideal candidates will be very comfortable touching cell phone or tablet screen devices. No prior formal training is required, however.

In addition to a video-meeting device (either your cell phone or tablet), you will be using:

• • Facebook messenger for kids
  • A toy bell for birds
  • Your bird’s favorite food treats
  • A secondary cell phone or tablet for video recording the sessions
  • Access to internet for uploading videos of your interactive calls

The interactive sessions will be located on a cage, play stand, or other area with a minimum of 3 feet that allows the bird to move freely within the area, to approach the screen, or to move away. 

Unfortunately, no. Participant birds will be interacting via Facebook messenger.

Your bird will learn to ring a bell, then select a friend on a tablet/cell phone. From learning this behaviour you will be able to facilitate a call for them. “Touch” or “Target” training with positive reinforcement will be the primary training skill utilized.

The study is estimated to begin June 15 and last until July 31.

The study will be for a limited time only. After it concludes, you are welcome to continue virtual interaction with other birds and continue afterward too. (Any further interactions will be independent and outside the scope of the study.)

No, there will be no monetary compensation for the study. Our hope is that your bird will have enrichment and fun interacting with others of their species!