Study: Laughter is contagious among some parrots

If you've heard that laughter is contagious among humans, the same may be true for parrots. Some birds get a kick out of hearing each other chuckle, according to a new study.

Researchers found that wild keas, a large parrot species from New Zealand, were quite entertained when they turned on recordings of birds warbling. Some started performing aerobatics in the air, while others began playing with one another or nearby objects.

For control, scientists also tested additional sounds including non-play kea calls, tweets from robins and a bland tone. The keas were much more amused when exposed to giggling noises as opposed to the other sounds.

While the findings revealed new facts about the birds, analysts still aren't sure whether or not the cackling actually has an emotional effect. To make that determination, they're hoping to find a way to measure the emotional state of both the callers and the listeners.

Take a look at the playful animals engaging in some funny business during the experiment in the video below.