It’s kinda comical. Like gee I wonder why they want to drink cool delicious clean water from a tap, not dank stagnant water from puddles. What a mystery for the ages!

Of course I understand that in the context of scientific research you can’t just assume, it’s just a bit absurd from the outside.

I don't know.. it seems like every dog I know would rather drink out of a muddy puddle than their clean water bowl.

My dog is obsessed with drinking water from the toilet and will use guests visiting as an opportunity to get into the bathroom.

My dog

Would rather drink the water used to clean chicken shit off the deck than anything else

Would die of thirst rather than drink slightly dusty, dog saliva contaminated water from their bowl. That Must Be Clean! Now, human!!

> Like gee I wonder why they want to drink cool delicious clean water from a tap, not dank stagnant water from puddles. What a mystery for the ages!

Tell that to my cats. If they got the chance they will always prefer to drink from puddles of muddy rainwater instead of the clean water we give them.

Depending where you live, "clean" tap water is disgustingly chlorinated. I wouldn't blame any pet for not wanting to drink that.

> Like gee I wonder why they want to drink cool delicious clean water from a tap, not dank stagnant water from puddles. What a mystery for the ages!

I mean, it could also not be about taste at all, I'm sure not all animals taste things the same, not even all humans have the same taste it seems, I can't stand fish and I love licorice, many are the opposite :)

Besides, many animals seem to enjoy just "different" things. When I'm out and about with my dogs, they love trying to drink water from puddles, even if I have a portable bowl with fresh water right next to it. Maybe it's more "interesting" or "flavorful"? Who knows...

It also seems like it would be more fun and mentally stimulating to operate a water fountain which is a reason to do it that I wouldn't put past a cockatoo given how smart they are.

Gonads have driven creatures to show they are more capable than others, whether knowledge or capability, for eternity. So much of our drive, just a drive to "do better" is driven by such.

Anyone who's spent long enough observing animals knows the reason... Animals are fucking lazy, why travel to find water when you can hang out, drink from an automatic machine and harass locals into feeding you and/or steal from them?

Cats are known to prefer running water - probably as it's more likely to be fresher and not stagnant. Maybe a similar thing applies here.

> So why did the cockatoos gravitate to drinking fountains in the first place

Some species of birds, like cockatoos, like puzzles. They like to figure things out.

skateboards are also terrible transportation devices, especially down stairs and handrails... :)

As a bird owner, they get bored. They like to play like dogs, but in 3d. They also have musical rhythm.