Are Birds Really That Stupid?

Spatial And Temporal Abilities

If you get a chicken, put a tasty treat behind a screen with a small gap so that the bird can see the treat but can’t get to it, the chicken won’t work out that he has to walk round the screen. If you trick a crow or parrot in the same way it will quickly work out that it has to walk around the screen and fetch its reward. It’s the most basic of problem solving but it puts some of the smarter birds above reptiles, amphibians and probably some humans if we’re honest.

In the wild spatial and temporal skills help birds remember where the best food will be in any given season without flapping about for miles to find the bounty. The North American western scrub jay (pictured above), is thought to be one of the most intelligent birds around, their ratio of brain size to body matches chimps and dolphins. They appear to be able to plan ahead which was supposed to be a purely human trait. They can remember 200 hidden food locations and can make sure that they eat food that will go off sooner than food that will last.

Western scrub jays also do little funerals for their dead companions, they gather together and shout for about half an hour. Here’s a quick video about it narrated by some weird American robot man:

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