Re: Bird Brains

[Stanley Friesen <sarima@ix.netcom.com>]

>From: dbensen <dbensen@gotnet.net>
>Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu <dinosaur@usc.edu>
>>    I just read an article in Discover about parrots who (African Grays)
>>who do
>>not mimik speach, they understand what they are saying and are capable of
>>thinking in the abstract.  They recognize that reflections in a mirror
>>imitate reality, for instance (a skill which humans do not have until age
two).
>
>EXCEPTION!......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^)

I have seen a sparrow attacking its reflection in a hubcap.  It kept at it
for at least fifteen minutes.

Parrots are among the most intelligent birds to begin with (along with
crows), and the African Gray is one of the more intelligent parrot species.
 (And, yes, the evidence that it is capable of some understanding of speech
is fairly strong, though some sort of "Clever Hans" effect is always hard
to entirely rule out).

Generally, intelligence is correlated with sociality, especially of complex
sorts.  Parrots are also among the most social of birds, and have complex
social signals in the wild.  (Don't scold a parrot by yelling at it - loud
calls are its social bonding signals, it will think you are trying to be
friendly!)

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May the peace of God be with you.         sarima@ix.netcom.com