The Intelligence Of Birds
Crows, parrots, and pigeons are more than cunning animals. There’s no doubt. But the intelligence of birds goes beyond these three species. We will tell you why they can even reason more than mammals, always considered the most intelligent.
Why are birds smart?
Birds have been believed to be inferior animals and even in our culture some ‘pejorative’ phrases are used when someone is not thinking correctly. The best known is ‘being a plover’s head’.
However, science claims that this idea is completely invalid. Some birds are even more intelligent than mammals, considered the most cunning of the animal kingdom (not only referring to human beings).
The reason why birds are intelligent is due to a more than interesting ‘combination’: the size of the brain and the number of neurons within the behavioral area. Contrary to popular belief, a large brain is not synonymous with intelligence … quite the opposite. Birds are the clear example.
If we were to rank the most intelligent birds in the world, we would have to name the lovebird, the dove, the blue tit, the hummingbird, the magpie, the cormorant, the macaw, the crow, the cockatoo and the parrot.
Bird intelligence: what can they do?
It is surprising, but birds have many capabilities and abilities similar to those of people and other mammals. To begin with, they can think and solve problems or certain situations that come their way. They can even find new solutions to common situations!
Until very recently it was believed that the ‘intelligence of birds’ was actually related to instinct, but after much research it was concluded that their ingenuity went further.
Birds have a developed spatial memory. For example, the nutcracker can hide 30,000 seeds in dozens of square kilometers and find most even months later.
Some species, like the gray parrot, can even solve basic puzzles with the same speed as a five-year-old. To get used to the idea, dogs are said to have the intelligence of a child of three.
Crows and magpies recognize faces, attack those who have been cruel to them – when they are protecting their chicks – and give presents to those who feed them. And, of course, we cannot ignore the ability of some species to repeat words in different languages, sing and even imitate in different tones.
Feelings and intelligence of birds
We are also struck by some behaviors that we could say ‘human’ among birds. They have social lives like us and their relationships are quite complex. They can ‘kiss’ to comfort each other, anticipate their partner’s food wishes, and sing for pleasure (if they have a partner, in duet, and if not, in groups as a sign of belonging).
Birds become depressed, such that a bird may stop eating when its mate dies and may even mourn. The jays star in a kind of ‘funeral collation’ around the corpse, they make noise and flap loudly. Then they leave and do not return to that place for a while.
They understand the benefits of sharing and reciprocity, they have very strong ties to each other, and they can be quite creative when matching their partners. There are even species whose males build conspicuous nests to ‘attract’ females at mating season. Or there are also dances and songs to show beauty and to be chosen, as people do when we like someone!
Without a doubt, the intelligence of birds has been quite undervalued, but with different investigations this idea is becoming obsolete.
