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Beer Science

Study: Birds Slur Their Songs When Drunk, Just Like Humans 63

Posted by samzenpus from the how-dry-I-am dept.
An anonymous reader sends word of researchers getting zebra finches drunk for science. "In the latest example of strange science, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland got some finches drunk and watched what happened. Their main finding? Like drunk humans, boozed-up birds slur their 'speech.' For the study, the researchers gave grape juice to one group of zebra finches and an alcoholic juice cocktail to another group. The cocktail-quaffing finches became somewhat inebriated, with blood alcohol levels of 0.05 percent to 0.08 percent, according to NPR. 'At first we were thinking that they wouldn't drink on their own because, you know, a lot of animals just won't touch the stuff,' Christopher Olson, a researcher at the university, told NPR. 'But they seem to tolerate it pretty well and be somewhat willing to consume it.'"
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Study: Birds Slur Their Songs When Drunk, Just Like Humans More

Study: Birds Slur Their Songs When Drunk, Just Like Humans

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  • Damn right they do (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    All those fine birds singing at clubs in London slur just as much as the lads after a few* pints.

    *Few, as in, officer, I've only had a few drinks

  • What's the difference between a Genie and a Genius? A Genie grants wishes and a Genius wishes for grants. (ba-dum *tish*)

    Anyway, I'm all pro fundamental research, but who pays for a research where they are going to feed birds alcohol?

  • Animals love to drink (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    In the US alcohol is demonized compared to many european countries. But the fact is many animal species like to be drunk just like humans. There was a documentary showing elephants, giraffes and monkeys getting drunk on fermented fruits.

    • Yeah, but if an animal enjoys a few low-alcohol fermented fruits in a year, it's quite different to drinking copious amounts of booze every weekend.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Read 'Storming Heaven' (Jay Stevens)... there are plenty of species that will consume various intoxicants pass the point of just having a bit of fun... long time since I read it but examples include birds who eat berries until they literally fall out of the tree and goats that grind on crazy moss/lichens until their teeth are worn out. Over indulgence is absolutely not limited to humans.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by doccus ( 2020662 )
          Ooh, and what about tibetan "Crazy honey"? The birds will fight for a bite.. and the monkeys are really adept at finding it, even to the point of getting repeatedly stung. Of course monkeys are the biggest dope and boozers in the jungle, besides elephants... Perhaps the bigger the braincase, the more the need for it?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by cusco ( 717999 )

        In the Pacific Northwest blackberries have overrun huge expanses of land. When the berries fall off and start to ferment birds of all kinds (including those that don't normally eat much fruit) will congregate and gorge themselves. It's hilarious watching a pheasant stagger to his feet, attempt to take off and crash into a bush.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by doccus ( 2020662 )
        "Low alcohol" fermented fruit? Musta not ever been in the jungle. Within a couple of really hot days it reaches 15 % w.v..

    • I remember a study that watched teenage dolphins purposely find a poisonous fish and chew on it gently enough to get high off of it and then pass it to its friends. I think it was a puffer fish but am unsure at the moment.

      Basically the dolphins were getting high and doing stupid stuff.

      • Basically the dolphins were getting high and doing stupid stuff.

        That's why they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs again this year.

    • Re:Animals love to drink (Score:4, Interesting)

      by heldal ( 2015350 ) on Friday January 02, 2015 @09:54AM (#48716259)
      When I was young and worked as a sailor, we would occasionally dip bread in etanol and feed it to seagulls. Not only were they crazy after it, but they got really drunk and wanted more, more, more. It attracted a large number of birds and they started acting more and more "human", crashing into each other mid-air, fighting, yelling etc. The behavioral pattern was very familiar indeed. There was no doubt they knew the effects of what they ate and that they were craving for it. Although they would come for normal bread as well, the interest was never as high as when we gave them alcohol.

  • Ig Noble Prize (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mseeger ( 40923 ) on Friday January 02, 2015 @07:00AM (#48715615)

    I nominate this study for the Ig Noble Prize [improb.com].

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rtb61 ( 674572 )

      Knowledge is knowledge, none of it is ever useless. Example birds get drunk, as well, just like humans. OK let's check for gene matches so that we can gain understanding about genetic patterns and finding out which do what and how they interrelate. There is also fermenting rural production wastes and the impact on bird species, so for example, your cheap ass waste processing results in a drunk bird smashing my window so who should pay. I nominate the Ig Noble prize for an Ig Noble award because it promotes

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Bugamn ( 1769722 )
        Personally, I would second this nomination, not because I see it as stupid, but I see it as amusing, and I like to think that the igNobel helps to find the funny side of science.

  • So (Score:2)

    by Dunbal ( 464142 ) *
    In b4 drunk parrots become an internet thing...
  • ...have been known the make some drunk tweets.

    .

  • ... in Britain.

  • The researchers posted a video describing the observed differences: http://www.plosone.org/article... [plosone.org]

  • hey they can't fly straight either
    (really)

  • If the Pointy Haired Boss had known about this, his scheme to breed owls [dilbert.com] for fuel for his SUV may have worked better.

    And on that note, I am now going to have stuck in my head over and over, a little tune I recall my dad singing regularly back when I was a young'un.

    o/~ If the ocean was whiskey, and I was a duck. I'd dive to the bottom, and never come up... o/~

    Hmmm... Time to see if I can score a good copy of Rye Whiskey now on a 78 for him for his birthday that is coming up on the 12th.

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