Scientists looked at YouTube videos to see which animals could do this. Alex the African Grey parrot was famous for his abilities to count and to distinguish between colours and shapes – and he could also keep the beat. In fact, the video search found that 14 different species of parrot who kept time to music.

The scientists said: “Our analyses showed that these birds’ movements were more lined up with the musical beat than we’d expect by chance. … We found strong evidence that they were synchronizing with the beat, something that has not been seen before in other species.”

They suggest that the parts of the brain used for copying sounds are also involved in this ability to keep in time with the beat.