Nova: Bird Brain

Quotes

1. "Ravens like Bran and parrots like Rio belong to two families of birds that are widely considered to be among the smartest species. Ravens are part of the crow family. Crows live almost everywhere on earth, with an average lifespan of ten to 15 years. They have a starring role in many classical myth as cunning animals who bring bad luck. Parrots, on the other hand, have been loved as pets by humans for thousands of years. They also thrive in many different environments, and they can live to be 80 years old. Their long life span gives them plenty of opportunity to learn new things." (9:18-10:05)

Why: I thought this excerpt was interesting and important as it shows the dynamic between birds and human society but also throws out an interesting hypothesis. As mentioned in the excerpt, ravens and parrots are seen as polar opposites so why do they have intelligence in common? Could it really be due to longevity and having a spread out species?

2. "Crows mate for life, and Wex started pulling out her feathers when her partner died."(16:38)

Why: It is insensible for this crow to pull out her feathers as this action would only hinder her survivability. Thus, I find it very interesting that she would do so, and also believe this is a great example of intelligence beyond instinct.

Researchers

1. Valerie Dufour is a researcher in ethology and cognition. She is interested in how animals attempt to generate benefits through civilized trading.

2. Isabella Schieber is a researcher/staff at the University of Vienna. She has a strong focus on geese and how biology affects the behavior.

3. John Marzluff 45:53 is a professor/researcher at the University of Washington. He has a focus on corvids, but mainly his interests lie in how humans affect birds and vice versa.

Summary

“Bird Brain,” is a video about bird intelligence. The researchers main goal is to prove to the general population that these birds act not purely on instinct but are capable of thinking and even feeling. They do what has to be done to get what they want, they learn and come up with strategies by messing around, they learn from their peers, and above all, they feel grief when their kind dies, and they give respect to their deceased. These actions, if not clearly stated: was done by birds, would be mistaken for humans. The “New Caledonian Crows,” research successfully demonstrates ingenuity in crows and parrots as these two birds are made to either open a mini door or maneuver a stick to move the nut out of the glass box or to pull a string. With all these options, and multiple tries, the researchers were able to whiteness the birds switch from using whichever method to, utilizing the most efficient method. In a way, this also shows how birds learn through play. The birds played around with the glass box and the objects lying around to discover how to reach the nut.

​ Further display of intelligence comes from their social interactions. Researcher Valarie Dufour found that, “…they repeat what they saw…they push the ball. This suggests these rooms learned how to solve the puzzle by watching another bird” (30:36). Learning vicariously is a form of higher level thinking as one must think the cause and effects through visualizing which is a hard concept compared to trial and error. Their intelligence growth could also be said to be from networking. Crows gathering and mourning for a random deceased crow is a display of emotional intelligence that people once thought was reserved to only our species. Just as John Marzluff noted in TIME’s “Kulger: Mourning” article, “Some may bring sticks or bits of grass and lay them next to- or even on top of-the remains. Then, tribute paid, they turn off and fly.” He once again finds more evidence to back up the crows’ sympathy but this time, through an experiment. In the video, Marzluff, puts on a mask and terrorizes a crow. A few days later, he no longer terrorizes the crow, but it recognizes the mask. It calls for its fellows and a swarm of crows gather around Marzluff.