Bird Intelligence – A Few Observations about their Intelligence

Bird intelligence and its measurement as it applies to birds is lacking the thoroughness associated with intelligence measurements of many mammals. In general birds have been considered inferior in intelligence compared to mammals. Through the ages various derogatory terms such as bird brains have been used in some cultures and times.

Nowadays such perceptions are not taken seriously by the scientific community. There is significant difficulty in defining and measuring the intelligence of birds. Because of this it is difficult for scientific study of their intelligence or capability of learning.

Birds have a relatively large brain compared to the size of their head. Their hearing and visual senses are well developed in most species. The sense of smell is well developed only in a few groups or types of birds. The beak and feet are used to manipulate food and other objects. This is easy to see when we watch a bird eating or building a nest. Bird movement is achieved through flight and use of the legs in most species.

There are some species of birds that normally walk and do not fly or fly very short distances only. And then there is the Ostrich. Birds can communicate using visual signals as well as through the use of calls and song. When scientists test the intelligence of birds they base their study on the responses to sensory stimuli. This makes it difficult to compare their intelligence to mammals.

A lot of studies have been made on birds such as pigeons, quail, and on domestic fowl. Most of those studies were of birds kept under captive conditions. Field studies in their natural environment, however, been limited. Birds such as the corvids (crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers) and psittacines (Afrotropical parrots) are known to live social lives and have long developmental periods. These types of birds have large forebrains so they can reasonably be expected to have greater cognitive abilities compared to many other bird species.

Although birds have no form of spoken language, birds do communicate with their flockmates through body language and song, in addition to their bird calls. Studies have shown that the intricate territorial songs of some birds must be learned at an early age. Those songs and the memory of the song serve the bird the rest of its life.

Many birds follow strict time schedules in their activities. Doing such activities often depend upon the natural environmental for clues. Birds are sensitive to daylight length. They seem to know when the days get longer or shorter. This awareness of length of daylight is especially important as a cue for migratory species. The ability to orient themselves during migrations is attributed to birds’ superior sensory abilities, rather than to intelligence.

Many birds have social organizations. Loose aggregations are common with many bird species. Many corvid species separate into small family groups for activities such as nesting and territorial defense. These same birds then congregate in massive flocks made up of several different species when they get ready to migrate. Some birds use teamwork while hunting. Some predatory birds have been seen hunting in pairs. They have been observed using a “bait and switch” technique, whereby one bird will distract the prey while the other swoops in for the kill.

Most birds appear to be capable of recognizing their mates, siblings and young. Other behaviors such as play and cooperative breeding are also considered indicators of intelligence. Although bird intelligence doesn’t seem to compare to mammal intelligence in most ways it does seem there is some sort of intelligence behind some of the things that birds do.