Bird intelligence: Encyclopedia - Bird intelligence

Bird intelligence

The level of intelligence in birds, as a scientific inquiry, has not been as thoroughly researched as similar questions regarding primates and other mammals. However, there is a general belief that they are more intelligent, as a class, than the reptiles, and that many species are just as intelligent as mammals of comparable size. Because birds lack forelimbs with which to modify their surroundings, it is often difficult to test for intelligence as we would define it for mammals. Traditionally, biological science has maintained that most actions performed by birds that may indicate intelligence are merely ingrained instinctual behaviours and that birds are unable to learn. One argument against the supposed intelligent capabilities of bird species is that birds have a relatively small cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain considered to be the main area of intelligence in other animals [1]. However, it seems that birds use a different part of their brain, the hpertriatum, as the seat of their intelligence.

Studies with captive birds have given us insight into which birds are the most intelligent. While parrots have the distinction of being able to mimic human speech, studies with the African Grey Parrot have shown that some are able to associate words with their meanings (see Alex). Along with parrots, the crows, ravens, and jays (family Corvidae) are perhaps the most intelligent of birds. Not surprisingly, research has shown that these species tend to have the largest hpertriata. Dr. Harvey J. Karten, a neuroscientist at UCSD who has studied the physiology of birds, discovered that the lower part of avian brains are similar to ours.

Bird intelligence - Indications of Intelligence in Bird Species

Bird intelligence - Vision

Birds rely heavily on their eyes for flying and navigation. The brains of many birds must be able to handle tasks differently from other animals. All flying birds must possess a fine level of motor control for in-flight maneuvering and landing. A bird of prey searching for a small rodent from high above the ground must be able to process a huge amount of complex visual information. Most birds, with the notable exception of owls and some other predatory species, have their eyes positioned on the sides of their heads, meaning that they have monocular vision. They must have the brain power to comprehend and combine the different visual information they receive from each eye.

Bird intelligence - Social Behaviour

Some scientists argue that the more social animals are, the more intelligent they seem to be. The human race itself is an example of evidence that would support this conjecture. Both parrots and corvids have shown tendencies towards organized social behaviour. Many corvid species seperate into small family groups or "clans" for activities like nesting and territorial defense. The birds will then congregate in massive flocks made up of several different species for migratory purposes. When the migration period is over, they will return to their original family groups. Scientists report that such behaviours indicate intelligence, as they would require the birds to not only recognize and remember their former companions, but also to interpret subtle changes in temperament and appearance.

Some birds use teamwork while hunting. Predatory birds hunting in pairs have been observed using a "bait and switch" technique, whereby one bird will distract the prey while the other swoops in for the kill.

Bird intelligence - Use of Tools

Like primates, many bird species have taught themselves to use tools. New Caledonian Crows have been observed in the wild to use stick tools with their beaks to extract insects from logs. While young birds in the wild normally learn this technique from elders, a laboratory crow named "Betty" improvised a hooked tool from a wire with no prior experience [2]. The woodpecker finch also uses simple stick tools to assist it in obtaining food. In captivity, a young cactus finch learned to imitate this behaviour by watching a woodpecker finch in an adjacent cage. British documentarian David Attenborough, in his miniseries The Life of Birds, captured an innovation the crows in urban Japan had developed. They dropped hard-shelled nuts onto crosswalks. Once they were cracked by cars that ran over them, they were retrieved while the cars were stopped at a red light.

Bird intelligence - Language

While birds have no form of spoken language, they do communicate with their flockmates through song, calls, and body language. Studies have shown that the intricate territorial songs of some birds must be learned at an early age, and that the memory of the song will serve the bird for the rest of its life. Some bird species are able to communicate in a variety of dialects. For example, the New Zealand saddleback will learn the different song "dialects" of clans of its own species, much as human beings might learn diverse regional dialects. When a territory-owning male of the species dies, a young male will immediately take his place, singing to prospective mates in the dialect appropriate to the territory he is in.

Bird intelligence - Migration

Scientists who have studied the mechanisms of bird migration over long distances have shown that while a bird may be instinctively able, and biologically equipped, to make a first flight on its own, adults are less prone to wander off-course than first-year fledglings. The birds were able to learn from experience or remember landmarks for the benefit of future flights.

Moreover, birds observe and integrate subtle visual clues to aid in their navigation, including the movement of the sun, visual landmarks, cloud movements, wind direction, and the earth's own magnetic field. Individual birds use different sources of information to navigate and may switch from one source to another while in flight.

Bird intelligence - Conceptual Skills

Some birds, notably pigeons, have demonstrated the ability to conceptualize. In one study, conducted at Harvard in 1964, it was shown that pigeons have a general concept of "human," which includes male humans and female humans, individual body parts, and the human body from the back, from below, and from above. When shown photographs of all of the above, the pigeons recognized the photos as "human." They also recognized photographs of human beings in "disguise" (i.e, a human in the nude, wearing strange clothes, or shown out of proportion).

Another study conducted with pigeons showed that the birds were able to distinguish between the artworks of different artists. For example, they could tell the difference between a Picasso and a Monet.

See also

• Bird
• Animal intelligence

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bird intelligence", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki