Re: Bird Brains

["Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>]

>>>I witnessed a Robin a couple of years ago that was not only
>trying to build a nest above my bathroom window, but was constantly bumping
>into (apparantly attacking) the window pane. I assume it was seeing it`s
own
>reflection and mistaking it for a rival. (Unless...perhaps,...it needed to
>use the bathroom????  8^)<<
>
>Maybe it was trying to write messages on your window pane.  Anway, I was
talking
>about only African gray parrots, not all birds.
>
>Dan


Oops!...I should really have been adressing Martin Barnett`s statement,
where he speaks of birds in general, saying....

" I reccomend 'The Minds of Birds' by Alexander F Skutch for a really good
look
at the cognitive behaviours of these creatures.  It has some hilarious
stories too.
   They recognize that reflections in a mirror imitate
reality, for instance (a skill which humans do not have until age two).
I guess that would be a very useful tool for a bird especially ones that fly
over water - catching fish is hard enough without having to fend off that
dastardly reflection too"


......Perhaps birds can recognize reflections on water`s surface,...but I
guess they are unfamiliar with reflections in a vertical surface, (having
not generally encountered such in nature).