Which is the smartest bird (1 Viewer)

[GDC]

Today I watched a crow work some road kill and he looked like a pretty smart bird to me. What do you think?

 

[showaddy]

Today I watched a crow work some road kill and he looked like a pretty smart bird to me. What do you think?

About yay high? black all over? Yes, I saw that one too.

 

[Steven Astley]

Crows can count aswell

 

[Tero]

There is a long story somewhere, but Ravens count much higher than crows. Not easily fooled.

 

[Larry Lade]

I saw a television program some years ago concerning how clever some of the tits were in figuring out different complex apparatus to gain a food reward.

 

[Jane Turner]

I was under the impression that Ravens had been shown to be the most intelligent birds. Will have a quick look to see if I can back that up.

 

[Jane Turner]

The Corvids have evolved the highest degree of intelligence among birds with ravens placing right at the top. They have been shown to use insight figuring out many experiments set up specifically for them and in the wild many observations of their intelligence have been recorded


This is a cracker!
http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2668085





http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0871569566/104-6597191-3707132?v=glance&n=283155
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/educators/radio_shows/raven1.html

 

[Dave B Smith]

I saw a write up about a year ago putting Clark's Nutcrackers pretty high up on the list. It dealt with the amount of food they stashed away (each piece in a separate place) for winter and how they found most of it later when needed.

 

[Gerry Hooper]

Parrots have got to come quite high in the intelligence list.
Intelligence is difficult to define, it is often described as the ability to decieve, in which case Jane's economist link is a good example.

 

[J Jones]

Woodpigeons are perhaps the dumbest birds. Not only do they look stupid, but also act it.

 

[Gerry Hooper]

Woodpigeons are perhaps the dumbest birds. Not only do they look stupid, but also act it.

Yeah, I like the way they lay an egg before completing their nest, very optomistic of them.
They must be one of the most annoying birds, insisting on flying in a straight line irregardless of wether I'm in the way or not!

 

[jurek]

Canaries are very bright. They worked out how to get food & safety for nothing.

 

[J Jones]

Yeah, I like the way they lay an egg before completing their nest, very optomistic of them.
They must be one of the most annoying birds, insisting on flying in a straight line irregardless of wether I'm in the way or not!

Indeed, they seem to think nothing can stop them, whether it be a car, brick wall, human or tree. I don't know why, but the way they clatter out of bushes irritates me. I bet it does them some damage over time.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Little Auks are very nice birds, but they're not exactly rocket scientists. Nor even Ravens.

 

[showaddy]

Hmm - when the Mir Space Station became obsolete and was being brought out of orbit, to crash to earth, the Rocket Scientists "hoped it would fall into the Pacific Ocean".

That's Rocket Science for you. I think the poor Little Auks are probably due an apology - or at least a little pat on the head and a "There there I didn't mean it."

 

[Tero]

The Corvids have evolved the highest degree of intelligence among birds with ravens placing right at the top. They have been shown to use insight figuring out many experiments set up specifically for them and in the wild many observations of their intelligence have been recorded

This is a cracker!
http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2668085

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0871569566/104-6597191-3707132?v=glance&n=283155
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/educators/radio_shows/raven1.html

THIS ONE also recommended. On ravens.

 

[London Birder]

actually, it's a little known fact that the Little Auk was instrumental in the design processes of the first rocket propulsion system, aided by a hen Linnet.

I'll see if I can find a link ...

 

[Steven Astley]

The decline in some farmland birds is thought to be attributed to relatively low intelligence and thus certain species are unable to adapt to changes in enviroment.

edit: apoligises to campaign for plain english supporters

 

[Phalarope]

Anyone inclined to touch paper, rather than a keyboard, might enjoy reading The Mind of the Raven or Ravens in Winter by Bernd Heinrich.

Phalarope

 

[AmpelisChinito]

Woodpigeons are perhaps the dumbest birds. Not only do they look stupid, but also act it.

Well, the Rock Doves, or feral pigeons that come to my feeder just sit above the telephone wire ALL-DAY!!! They never come down to eat, they just sit there and watch the other birds! That's really stupid.