Introducing the brain: bird brains small but intelligent (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, May 17, 2021, 15:34 (1074 days ago) @ David Turell

Some birds are as intelligent as dolphins and primates:

https://www.activewild.com/bird-intelligence/

"In fact, as we find out more about bird intelligence, the more we are beginning to realize that certain groups of birds are among the most intelligent of all animals.

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"...birds and mammals are very different types of animal. However, the basic “body plan” of both–i.e. having a backbone, four limbs, eyes, ears, a skull containing a brain, etc.–reveals their shared ancestry.

"Bird and mammal brains too share the same basic parts. However, 300 million years of evolution have left their brains–like their bodies–looking very different.

"A bird’s brain is mostly smooth, and lacks the bumps and grooves of a mammalian brain.

"Birds Have Big Brains (In Relation To Body Size)… But Small Brains In General

"The size and exact structure of a bird’s brain differs from species to species. In general, birds have large brains in relation to the size of their heads, and also in relation to the size of their bodies. That’s a good indicator of intelligence.

"The brains of crows and parrots – two of the smartest types of bird – are, in relation to body size, as large as those of the great apes.

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"Although brain size is a reasonably good indicator of intelligence, it doesn’t necessarily follow that ‘the bigger the brain, the higher the intelligence’.

"The smartest birds – even with their small brains – are more intelligent than most mammals.

"A bird’s brain may be small, but it is highly efficient. Research has shown that the cells in a bird’s brain are extremely densely-packed. A parrot’s brain has the same number of neurons (brain cells) as that of a medium-sized primate.

"Numerous tests have been devised to measure animal intelligence. Despite having small brains, crows and parrots take their place alongside great apes, dolphins and whales as the most intelligent of all animals.

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"During times when food is plentiful, many birds deliberately store surplus food in multiple locations. By doing so they’ll have a supply of food available during the winter. This behavior is known as ‘caching’.

"Caching requires a good memory; there wouldn’t be much point in hiding food if you couldn’t remember where you’d put it!

"One species known for its caching behavior is Clark’s nutcracker, a North American member of the crow family Corvidae. It the autumn this incredible bird hides seeds in over 3,000 different locations. It relies on these food stores during the cold months.

"Clark’s nutcracker can locate the caches with a high degree of accuracy up to nine months after the food was originally buried. It can even locate the caches if they are covered in snow."

Comment: the article contains many other examples of bird intelligence