Posted on 02/21/2007 6:56:40 PM PST by blam
Birds not so stupid after all
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 1:58am GMT 22/02/2007
Birds have emerged as strong challengers to chimpanzees and dolphins for the title of our smartest rivals in the animal world, biologists at Cambridge University have concluded.
Planning and worrying about the future has always been considered an exclusively human activity, but now at least one species of bird has also been found to plan.
"This is the first evidence that an animal can plan for the future," said Prof Nicky Clayton, who led the research team.
According to her findings, published in the journal Nature, western scrub-jays will store food items they believe will be in short supply in the future.
"Clearly the notion of bird-brained is no longer warranted," she said.
Prof Clayton, Prof Tony Dickinson, Caroline Raby and Dean Alexis carried out tests on eight scrub jays every morning, where they denied them their food. The birds were placed in two different compartments on alternate mornings for six days.
In one compartment they were always given breakfast and in the other they were not. After training the birds were unexpectedly given pine nuts suitable for hoarding in the evening.
In anticipation of a morning without breakfast, the scrub-jays consistently hid food in the ''no breakfast" compartment rather than the ''breakfast" compartment, demonstrating an understanding of their future needs. In a similar experiment, the scrub-jays were given either dog food in one compartment or peanuts in a second compartment for breakfast. When they were allowed to store either food where they liked in the evenings, they hoarded peanuts in the dog food compartment and vice versa.
Prof Clayton said: "The western scrub-jays demonstrate behaviour that shows they are concerned both about guarding against food shortages and maximising the variety of their diets in the future. It suggests they have advanced thought processes as they have a sophisticated concept of past, present and future."
I had a pet crow when I was a child. Roscoe learned to speak several words. He could say "help me help me" and Hello mama". He was a great pet but he started attacking children walking to school and my father gave him away.
For several years I've been feeding a Mockingbird peanut butter every morning by spreading on a tree limb in my backyard. He takes a mate every spring and brings her and their offspring to the tree with him. After the fledglings reach about 4 weeks, he runs them all off from his territory. He won't even let me finish spreading on the tree limb before he begins to feed inches away from me.
This morning I was running late, and skipped this ritual. I headed out the front door to get in my car when he flies over and lands in a tree next to my driveway, staring me down. I just laughed and started to get in my car. He then flies over and lands on the roof of my car! Well I got the point. I turned and headed to the gate to the backyard and when I arrived at the usual feeding spot, he was already waiting. So this bird associates me with food, and one of the most basic learning methods is realized through association. It requires some thought.
Yes, birds are much smarter than we have traditionally given them credit for being, but if you take the time to closely observe, you know better.
http://www.budgieresearch.homestead.com/
Hummingbirds are amazing. The ruby-throated hummingbird's flight across the gulf of mexico takes about 24 hours and they beat their wings around 5 million times nonstop. So much energy in such a tiny creature! And to find their way over water in darkness and in different weather conditions is incredible.
Hardly news to me. I have 15 rescued parrots of various sizes and species, and there isn't a single one who isn't a far more intelligent conversationalist than anyone who ever hosted a show on "Air America." Of course, that includes a parakeet who only says "Hello." But at least she knows better than to try to talk when she doesn't know what she's saying, which puts her light years beyond Al Franken.
The crows needed the most attention. They would get mean if they didn't spend time figuring out complex things. We would hide the food, disguise it, or put it inside and behind things that they had to figure out how to solve. It was harder for us to come up with new things, which they would figure out immediately.
I've seen Ravens do this too--in my driveway. I have a massive Live Oak tree in my front yard which is perpetually dropping acorns. I've seen one watch me back over them when I pull out and swoop in to gobble up the easy pickins.
I think they have to look a little farther.
Look to the hoarders... mice, squirrels etc etc all build caches, beaver as well to carry themselves into the winter. Wolves, bears......
Anthropomorphism bump....
The budgies sound like Yoda!! I wonder if George Lucas did that on purpose?
Our hummingbirds come to the kitchen window and fly in front of it, side to side as if on a swing, to get attention when one of the feeders is empty (we have four).
I can hardly wait for them to return this spring. We really love the hummers. One dominant type male bird went over to our mastiff, hovered right in front of his face, and they looked at each other, inches apart.
We can have crowds of 30 plus birds in the evening at twilight...they are so beautiful...some come over to us, and look at us the same way they looked at the dog. We think they like looking at us.
Some crows are smarter than most dogs. They don't seem to get their attention diverted over stupid things either. Talk about FOCUS. They also seemed more interested in playing games than in food. Food of course, was still the best game item.
As if no other biologist in the history of Cambridge had come to this conclusion before.
I began feeding Hummers this past summer for the first time. I only had two or three, but maybe when they come back this spring they will bring some friends. I've noticed that they are extremely territorial; they certainly are a marvel, though. Very time consuming endeavor, feeding the Hummers, because the nectar has to be changed twice daily due to the high summer temps here.
"You look into their eyes and there's no one at home. Oh God help us! It's like looking at an unlit lamppost."
Yup. They fly right here to Mobile and I put out feeders for them every year, they fly for 20-26 hours across the gulf. There is a major bird 'flyway' through here and a big bird watching area.
Dauphin Island is the first land that some of the birds see after flying across the gulf and the Dauphin Islanders have a term 'fall-out' that occurs when some of the bird flocks arrive. Some of the birds are so tired that when they see land below them they actually stop flying and just fall out of the sky.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.