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Birds Are Smart Too P.K FEATURE ARTICLE Birds are Smart Too P.K. Mukherjee cognition writes that the cognitive abilities of corvids are equal to many primates, such as chimpanzees and gorillas. Birds are also capable of adapting to new environments and conditions. However, quantitative measurement of avian intelligence, or their “IQ”, is difficult to ascertain because they cannot take intelligence tests or attend classes to be evaluated with their peers. Yet, ongoing observations and studies are revealing more and more frequently that birds may be fairly more intelligent than initially believed. Evidence of Avian Intelligence The indication of how smart birds are is direct observation of birds acting intelligently. Some observations have been made under scientifically controlled circumstances and also in laboratory experiments. Other observations have come from bird-keepers and bird watchers who notice their favourite birds behaving in peculiar ways that seem planned and premeditated. Both types of observations can be helpful in the debate about bird intelligence. These observations suggest that certain birds have advanced learning abilities. For American babyface crow instance, many songbirds are able to learn (Image credit: Twitter) and teach vocal communication, the skill that makes human language possible. Some birds have been known to craft and use tools. For instance, researchers from the University of OMETIMES we call others “birdbrain” or “featherbrain” St. Andrews in Scotland observed a certain species of crow, indicating that the person is dim-witted or brainless. Of called New Caledonian crow, bending a piece of wire into a Scourse, once birds were regarded nothing more than hook and fishing food from a container. They are not the only living robots, with everything they do programmed into their birds to use tools; there are quite a few other varieties known genes from birth. to do so. But, we now know that some birds are smart. While Irene Pepperberg has even documented the counting skills some birds can count, others can make and use tools, there of African grey parrots. Ornithologists generally agree that are still others that can recognize themselves in mirrors. Some corvids and parrots are amongst the smartest bird species. birds exhibit a wide range of smart behaviours including good Based on their observations, they also say that social, gregarious memory, communication ability, planning for the future and birds exhibit more intelligent behaviour than solitary species. remembering the past while others show empathy, imagination and insight. Some birds can solve problems, and others have Self-recognition in Birds been observed playing – both activities that indicate more than Self-recognition is a trait that is predominantly thought to exist just basic instincts. in higher orders of mammals only. Although comparative Research carried out by ornithologists has shown that birds studies suggest that at least some bird species have evolved are intelligent, too. Some birds are actually pretty smart; a mental skills similar to those found in humans and apes, it good example is the corvid or crow family. John K. Terres, an is still not clear whether these skills are accompanied by an American naturalist and author, says corvids have achieved the understanding of the self. In apes, it may be noted, self-directed highest degree of intelligence of any birds. Irene Pepperberg behaviour in response to a mirror has been taken as evidence from Harvard University and known for her studies in animal of self-recognition. 36 | Science Reporter | March 2020 New Caledonian crow displays tool use (Image Credit: Wikipedia) Irene Pepperberg documented the counting skills of African grey parrots (Image Credit: lafeber.com) A crucial step in the emergence of self-recognition is particular, a crow named Babyface) bringing gifts to an eight- the understanding that one’s own mirror reflection does not year-old girl in Seattle has taken ornithologists by surprise. represent another individual but oneself. It may be noted that Actually, the girl named Gabriella Mann had befriended in non-human species, as well as in children, the ‘mark test’ crows in her Seattle neighbourhood by setting out peanuts has been used as an indicator of self-recognition. In these and dogfood in trays. In exchange, the crows used to bring experiments, subjects are placed in front of a mirror and gifts to her. These gifts included a gold bead, a pearl earring, provided with a mark that cannot be seen directly but is visible a screw, coloured and clean glass chips, a pebble, a quartz in the mirror. Mirror self-recognition has been shown in apes crystal and a squid toy. and, not long ago, in dolphins and elephants. Gifts are usually exchanged between humans in Although experimental evidence in non-mammalian reciprocation or expression of mutual love and affection. The species has been lacking, some birds from the corvid family question that arises is: Can the crows do what humans do, show skill in tasks that require perspective taking, a likely bringing gifts to a friend who has been kind to it? The broader prerequisite for the occurrence of mirror self-recognition. A question is: Can a crow – or for that matter any bird – take famous experiment was conducted by the psychologist Helmut decisions of this sort? So, what is the possible explanation for crows in Seattle Prior Goethe University in Frankfurt and his co-workers on bringing gifts to a human girl? “I don’t know why they do it?” European magpie (a songbird species from the crow family) Thomas Bugniya, a cognitive biologist at the University of Pica pica. In the experiment, the mark test was used by the Vienna, says. “Gift giving is in their natural repertoire. So, it researchers who placed coloured dots on the neck of Pica is likely that they give her gifts because they have learned that pica. When the bird saw the dots, it tried to remove them. In she is giving them food.” this way, evidence was obtained for mirror self-reflection in “It is a two-way communication,” agrees John Marzluff, the European magpies. a wildlife biologist at the University of Washington, Seattle, who studies crows and ravens. “Gabi consistently provides Gift-giving by Birds food, and the crows regard the food as the gift. In exchange The birds from the corvid or crow family are supposed to be they bring her presents.” the smartest of all birds. The tale of a crow putting pebbles to Can birds – other than crows and ravens – offer objects increase the water level in the container to enable it to quench to people? It is rare, say ornithologists. Marzluff carried out its thirst, is well known. This is indicative of the cognitive or a series of experiments with his students on his University problem-solving abilities of crows. of Washington campus that showed crows never forget a Gift-giving (and it is not presenting gift by a bird to a bird), face. They recognize people who harassed them years before which is generally restricted to humans, is a rare phenomenon at nesting sites and pass this information on to their chicks in birds. However, a real-life account of American crows (in and other crows. “The crows know Gabi. Bringing gifts is a March 2020 | Science Reporter | 37 c1 reciprocal exchange; it is a way of thanking a Gabi,” says Marzluff. There are approximately 10,000 species of birds with different brain architecture. But, in the past two decades, the study of avian intelligence has witnessed dramatic advances. Going back in time, crows and all birds (and most mammals) were thought to be robotic simpletons, capable of reacting instinctively to things that happened to them. Around 1900, the scientist Ludwig Edinger, German anatomist and neurologist and co-founder of b c2 the University of Frankfurt, misinterpreted the neural anatomy of birds. He thought that birds lack a neocortex, the thinking area in the mammalian brain where much of the higher cognitive functioning – working memory, planning and problem solving – occurs. In the 1950s, researchers began studying how songbirds, such as canaries, sparrows and zebra finches learn their songs. They found striking similarities between birdsong and human speech. The discoveries finally prompted an international team of researchers to re- examine the long-standing Edinger model of avian neural anatomy. In 2005, they revealed that the birds’ brains do possess Mark test: a direct indicator of self-recognition in birds (Image credit: researchgate.net) neural structures, called the pallium – Each brain part was then ground up and mixed with a solution considered a key site for intelligent behaviour – that resembles the neocortex in mammals and other areas associated with in which neurons could be dyed and counted. The research sophisticated thinking. revealed that although birds have tiny brains, they turn out to have phenomenal numbers of neurons. The details of this British biologist Nathan Emery, who began his career as a study were published in the 28 June 2016 issue of the journal primatologist, coined the term “featured apes” for corvids in a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). paper he co-authored with his wife, Nicky Clayton. Emery and These findings could definitely help to explain why Clayton argue that corvids and apes evolved markedly similar some birds, such as corvids in the crow family, excel in their complex cognitive abilities even though they are distantly cognitive skills. This is because more neurons per bone-mass related – the two groups diverged more than 300 million years allow for more connections between neurons and larger ago – because they face similar pressures. Both live in social networks and this, in turn, enables faster and more powerful groups, which require an understanding of others’ motives processing of information. and desires, as they search for and process a range of foods.
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