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Overview
Humans may be the most intelligent species on earth, but they’re not the only intelligent species. Chimpanzees are able to solve complex tasks, while dolphins can give each other names and elephants have disproportionately large brains. Whenever we think of animals that show signs of high cognitive abilities, at least one of these three animals likely comes to mind. But there’s another group that usually gets left out when discussing animal intelligence: birds. This article will help you understand bird intelligence by exploring their ability to learn from humans; how some birds use tools; what makes a bird brain special; why crows are so smart; and whether or not parrots really can talk like people do.
There are many interesting facts about pigeons. For example, they can distinguish a Monet painting from other paintings and even build nests with cigarettes. This is one of the most interesting things I’ve learned about pigeons.
It is important to have an eye for detail
Big Idea #1: Intelligence is an elusive concept and testing birds’ cognition is a challenging task.
People sometimes use the term “birdbrained” to describe silly ideas. Birds aren’t usually known for their intelligence, so it’s a negative way of describing an idea that is especially stupid.
However, new research suggests that birds may deserve a better reputation. There are many ways in which they appear to demonstrate intelligence. Before going into greater detail, let’s first look at why the term “intelligence” is hard to define.
The definition of intelligence is vague. For instance, a person can be intelligent in many ways. For example, one person might be good at literature but not so great at math; another person may have a knack for logic and an aptitude for exploring new territory.
Scientists have a hard time defining intelligence, so they prefer the word cognition. But testing birds’ cognitive capacities is also challenging because what appears to be impressive might simply be an instinctive behavior. For example, seeing a flock of starlings soaring in unison might lead you to believe that they communicate with each other and are able to fly together as one unit. However, it’s actually just each bird following simple rules based on those around it.
The overall display of birds is impressive, but each bird is just following simple orders.
As a result, scientists have created tests that measure birds’ cognitive abilities. These tests often involve the bird solving a problem in exchange for some food.
For example, one experiment involves putting birdseed in a container with a lid that can be opened and closed. Scientists then measure how quickly the birds open the lid to get to the seed. This same experiment could be used on many different types of birds to see which ones are better at opening lids to get food.
Big Idea #2: The size and structure of birds’ brains tell us they’re smart.
The size of an animal’s brain is often a reflection of its intelligence. The brains of birds tend to be larger than the brains of sheep, which are smaller than human brains. When comparing relative sizes, humans have bigger brains than sheep and wolves do. However, when it comes to actual weight, New Caledonian crows have relatively large bird brains for their body size.
Crows have brains that are large when compared to their body size. This characteristic is also found in humans and is called hyperinflation.
Birds have been around for a long time. In fact, they haven’t changed much since their dinosaur ancestors. However, birds’ bodies and brains are smaller than dinosaurs’.
