People assume that birds do not have mental faculties, but they are deeply mistaken about this. In fact, birds are even more adapted to some tasks than humans. But nowadays there is still a debate among scientists about "how smart animals are". Some researchers share the same opinion, based on which they conclude that animals respond to specific commands, while other scientists argue that animals follow only their natural instinct and nothing else... But where is the truth in their statements and who should people believe more?
But this is not easy to explain, because intelligence is a complex quality and the answer to the question depends on different situations. The whole misunderstanding is that intelligence cannot be measured in quantity. People cannot force animals to hand over any texts or compare them with the same individuals of their respective age. Scientists have also tried to develop tests to measure the cognitive ability of animals, but the results of these tests also did not provide accurate answers to clearly posed questions. Later, after a lot of trial and error, scientists were forced to admit they were wrong that testing in the form of specific tasks was impossible for animals to perform. These tests are only acceptable for humans. And after the researchers were able to observe the behavior of each animal in any particular situation, understandable to the animal, then they were able to assess the intelligence of each individual.
What kinds of birds are the smartest?
All people have heard about the cunning of the fox and the intuition of dolphins. There are also dogs and cats that are smarter than birds, reptiles and insects. And then it turns out to be surprising news that birds are one of the smartest creatures in the whole world. These birds are so intelligent that they can adapt to new conditions and situations. A practical example for this is the fact that birds cover distances of up to 44,000 kilometers during the flight in search of food and other resources for subsistence.
Birds have larger brains in relation to their body proportions.
In order to analyze the intelligence of birds, one can examine the size and structure of the brain. Based on research, it is already clear that the brains of birds are larger in relation to the proportions of their small bodies. In addition, many areas of the bird's brain are more developed than those of other mammals. Therefore, it is not surprising that many parrots-friends of people imitate human speech and this is what speaks about the highly developed intelligence of these birds. This is just one example, but there is also much more to the point that birds can think. For example, woodpeckers cut sticks to the correct length so that they can be used as a tool for hunting insects, or crows place nuts on the road so that moving cars can crush their shells.
There are approximately 18,000 bird species in the world, and the list includes 10 of their representatives with the highest intelligence.
1. Ravens
There are quite a few of these birds all over the world, but they do not receive the appreciation they deserve. Many people consider them terrible, but they are some of the smartest creatures on the planet. Ravens can handle complex tasks, although their brains are the size of a thumb. Research also shows that crows can count to five, create custom tools for use, and remember people's faces. Scientists have also shown by studying the brains of birds that crows can tell when people are friendly or dangerous, and can recognize their faces. All subspecies and families, which include rooks, crows and jays, have a complex social structure, they exchange information throughout the group, and then make decisions. They are also capable of forging strong bonds with people.
2. Kea
These birds are also one of the smartest species of birds and are very famous for their antics.
Kea is a species of parrot found in New Zealand. These playful and friendly birds have a terrible reputation for stealing food. They can harm people by destroying their machinery and equipment. Kea offend gibbons and monkeys. Also, another study revealed unusual behavior of these birds, which distinguishes their behavior from other living creatures. For example, in the case when the bird had to wait for its partner for more than a minute in order to work together and steal food, it showed its developed intelligence and ability to determine when they need to work in a team.
3. Cockatoo
These mobile birds belong to the parrot family and are not only smart but also affectionate. Cockatoos are endowed with excellent speech abilities and can mimic the sounds and words they hear. Based on research, it has been found that they are smarter than four-year-old children and can recognize hidden objects. In addition, birds are able to track an object if it is placed somewhere else. In fact, they need to be close to them of any things. And if these birds are kept as pets, then it is imperative to provide them with many entertaining toys in the cage.
4. Macaw
The color of the macaw plumage is not only filled with different colors, but the parrots themselves have a bright personality. On the one hand, they seem funny and interesting, but at the same time they are smart, playful and affectionate. These birds belong to one of six genera, which include individuals with the longest body up to one meter long. A study of the macaw gene structure shows that these genes had a DNA backbone, which makes up one third of mammalian genes. Macaws have the ability to perform various magic tricks and they have excellent cognitive abilities.
5. Jaco
Jacot is known for his ability to reproduce human speech. They imitate the words of people and sounds and know how to use intonation. These birds can learn up to 200 words or more, and also imitate the sounds of animals in order to scare away predators. But that's not all. According to research, these parrots have excellent reasoning skills, based on which the gray grays can find hidden food. Our children only have such an ability by the age of three, and accordingly, these parrots can legally be considered smarter than three-year-old children.
6. Black crows
These are other members of the raven family, and they are also among the smartest birds on the planet. Rooks are known to work in packs, hunting for food. One distracts the bird parent, while the other steals the newborn chick. Research also shows that rooks keep food in reserve, which means they take care of food in the future. These birds have their own form of communication between relatives and have excellent memory, since even after long separations they are able to recognize each other.
7. Nutcrackers
These birds are also among the most intelligent birds. They have a phenomenal memory and certain knowledge about the world around them. In the summer, the birds store for the winter in the form of large quantities of pine seeds and store them over an area of 200 square kilometers. They remember all these storage locations (and there can be up to 3000 of them). Nutcrackers know how to count, because among the piles of seeds they always choose the larger one.
8. Jays
The most famous representatives of this family are blue jays, Eurasian jays, California jays. The male Eurasian jay is very smart because he knows how to impress the female. He knows how to do something nice and knows how to make gifts to her.California jays know how to plan, think about the future. For example, they decide what they will have for breakfast the next day, look for food and store it. Blue jays are smart and can use the paper on the bottom of the cage to create some kind of tool to reach outside the cage. Recently, scientists have shown that jays are able to imitate individual sounds and even human speech.
9. Magpies
They are the only birds to pass the mirror test. The test for them is a method of determining their self-awareness. In the experiment, the sign or sticker is applied to the birds in those parts of the body that are not visible to them. The birds are then placed in front of a mirror, and if the bird discovers the mark, scratches and tries to remove it, then this is a sign that the magpie is self-aware. Eurasian magpies pass this test with success. They are also known to play hide and seek well, and their mobility is similar to that of four to five year olds. Magpies live in society and collect shiny objects.
10. Rooks
Another representatives of the rook family of ravens have exceptional ability to solve well-defined tasks. For example, this skill is described in Aesop's Fables, where a rook must drink water from an incomplete jug. In fact, these birds use the same tactics described in the book. They also create tools and know how to use them. Research from universities in Cambridge and Queen Mary has shown that rooks always use the right items to solve well-defined problems.
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Which birds do you think are the smartest in the world? Watch the video and see how your opinion coincides with the opinion of the author of the video.
