Just how intelligent are crows and parrots?
Crows make tools, hold grudges for years, and outperform seven-year-old children on logic puzzles.
The answer
Corvids and parrots demonstrate intelligence rivaling great apes despite having brains as small as walnuts. New Caledonian crows craft multi-step compound tools by combining separate components - a feat previously only attributed to humans and great apes. In 2020, a study in Science confirmed crows possess subjective consciousness, showing neural responses indicating sensory awareness. Alex, an African grey parrot trained by Dr. Irene Pepperberg, learned over 100 words, understood zero as a concept, and could identify colors, shapes, and quantities. Ravens plan for the future, selecting tools for tasks 17 hours ahead. Crows in Japan drop nuts onto pedestrian crosswalks, waiting for cars to crush them and traffic lights to stop before collecting the food.
Source: Science
- bird intelligence
- crows
- parrots
More from Nature & Wildlife
- How intelligent are octopuses?
- How do birds navigate thousands of miles during migration?
- What is bioluminescence and why do organisms glow?
- How do trees communicate through underground fungal networks?
- Do animals dream?
- Why are coral reefs dying around the world?