Puffins that use tools

Puffins have been spotted scratching themselves with sticks—the first time wild seabirds have been observed using tools. Researchers saw two Atlantic puffins, one in Wales and one on an Icelandic island, using sticks as grooming devices. In footage from Iceland, a puffin waddles toward the camera, grabs a stick with its beak, and scratches itself under its chest with the piece of wood. The bird then drops the stick rather than taking it home to its nest. Researchers say the puffin was likely trying to knock off ticks, which plague seabird populations. Other birds—including crows and parrots—have been spotted using tools, but never for anything other than acquiring hard-to-reach food. Only primates and elephants are known to use tools for other tasks. Study author Annette Fayet says her findings suggest we may have underestimated birds’ cognitive abilities. “Many more species may also be using tools,” she tells CNN.com, “but we simply haven’t observed them yet.”

NASA, Tom Björklund, Theis Jensen, Alamy ■