In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, there was a dialogue about pigeons playing ping pong. I decided to Google whether this is a real experiment and here’s what I found (video at the end of the post)
Scientists in the 90s conducted an experiment that proved: these birds are capable of mastering non-standard behavioral tasks if the training system is constructed correctly.
The research was based on classical operant conditioning. The pigeons were gradually trained to peck at a moving target on the screen that imitated a ball. Each successful hit was accompanied by a small reward. Eventually, two birds were connected to one system, where their pecks reflected the same "ball" in different directions, creating the effect of a game.
The result turned out to be unexpectedly successful. The birds did not just react reflexively, but demonstrated consistent behavior similar to a real exchange of hits. They learned to predict the trajectory of the object and respond to the opponent's actions.
Although this is not ping pong in the human sense, the experiment showed impressive capabilities of pigeons for learning, adaptation, and interaction. It also served as a good demonstration of how even simple species can master more complex behavior patterns under the right motivation and clear task structure.
BF Skinner Foundation systematically documents and disseminates the works of B.F. Skinner, including his numerous experiments on pigeons. Pigeons became one of the key species on which Skinner built his theory of operant conditioning — they were easily trainable, quickly formed associations, and allowed for clear observation of behavioral changes.
For example, in this video - an almost real game of ping pong:
