Did you ever wonder how intelligent birds are?

By David McClelland

A friend challenged me to research this subject and to write a blog about my findings.

My earlier blog about geese flying in a "V" formation showed that is the most efficient way for them to fly over long distances. That was an example of the intelligence of geese. Just how intelligent are birds?

My research on this subject has been fascinating and leads me to conclude that birds are inferior in intelligence to many mammals, but not all. The derogatory term, "bird brain," has been used to describe some people. While it is true that most birds have smaller heads than most mammals resulting in smaller brains in physical size, scientists have determined that birds' brains are actually large for the size of their heads. Visual and auditory senses are well developed in most species of birds.

Birds are known to communicate using visual signals as well as through the use of calls and song. Scientists have measured birds' intelligence by studying their responses to sensory stimuli and found them to be strong.

Here are some examples of the level of intelligence in various species of birds: Doves, magpies, parrots and ravens aren't fooled if an object is hidden – they have a mental model of its position. Grey parrots and macaws are able to count up to 7, recognize the concept of "none" and are able to understand the concepts of "same' and "different". Ravens, parrots and New Caledonian crows have all shown that they are able to make and use simple tools. Tool use is much more widespread among other birds, such as Galapagos finches and Egyptian vultures. Striated herons use bait to attract fish. Some predatory birds, like the Harris hawk, use teamwork while hunting. They use a "bait & switch" technique: one will distract the prey while the other will attack for the kill.

There was one study of a parrot that was able to identify more than 100 items by name. That parrot could also tell similarities and differences. If shown 3 triangles of different colors and asked what is the same or different, the bird would give the correct answer (shape or color) 80% of the time.

An African Gray Parrot named Alex is said to be the most thoroughly studied bird so far.
A University of Arizona study revealed that Alex mastered 100 English words and could use them all correctly. During the study, Alex was able to speak meaningfully and understand what was said to him. The scientists there are convinced that he was far more intelligent than humans ever imagined any bird to be.

Many birds are expert navigators. They migrate to different places, apparently by observing the movement of the sun, stars and visual landmarks. Investigators noted that they use subtle clues like wind direction and cloud movements to assist them.

Another trait was observed in an apparent relationship between a parakeet I'll call Bill and a goldfish I'll call Goldy. Bill would peek at one side of Goldy's bowl and Goldy would come to that side if her bowl, so as to get as close as possible to Bill. Sometimes, Bill would hang over the water and Goldy would come to the surface, again, to get close to Bill. When Goldy died, Bill showed typically human signs of depression with inactivity, quietness and loss of interest food and in his surroundings. A new goldfish in the bowl didn't seem to help. Bill truly missed his friend, Goldy.

A more personal experience is with a friend where I worked who has a cockatoo that recognizes and talks to and about each member of our friend's family. When her daughter came into the house, it would say, "Doreen's here." When her husband returned, it would say, "George is home." Sometimes, it would imitate George's voice and our friend thought it was George talking to her. No one taught the cockatoo to speak or to recognize different people, it learned it on its own. Yes, I said, "learned" it.

With all of the studies and examples of intelligence in various species of birds, it is clear to me that birds are generally more intelligent than many of us ever imagined. Your own experiences may have convinced you of this also. If so, please let me know.