SUMMARY: Scientists are discovering birds, particularly corvids, are far more clever than people have been assuming. The corvid family includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays and magpies (magpie picture from Wikimedia Commons).These birds have astonished scientists with extraordinary feats of memory, an aptitude for complex social reasoning, and a gift for crafting and using tools. Scientist Christopher Bird (his real name) from the zoology department at Cambridge University says, "I would rate corvids as being as intelligent as primates in many ways."
Like many corvids, western scrub jays will hide food for later consumption, but they take this practice one step further. When in the presence of other birds, Mr. Bird says, they will move the hidden food around and, if being watched, might even do some "fake hides" as well, pretending to put their beaks in the ground to place food but not really doing so.
Corvids have also proven to be aware of themselves and to recognize themselves in mirrors. Using the Gallup mark test, in which a mark is put on part of an animal's body where it can't see it except in a mirror, scientists have discovered the ability for self-recognition in corvids. Last year a German team found that magpies, marked with colored stickers under their beaks, tried to remove the stickers when presented with a mirror. Previously only primates and possibly elephants and dolphins had been thought to have this ability.
Perhaps most interesting about these birds is their ability to use tools. an ability which might even surpass that of primates such as chimpanzees. Scientists have discovered the New Caledonia crow can take a whole branch from a tree, chop off the side branches, and hone away at the end to make a hook which it then uses to get grubs. One captive bird named Betty can take a wire, bend it with her beak to make a hook and then use the hook to pull up a bucket of food. Experiments with Betty provided the first demonstration of any animal being able to make a new tool for a specific task without a period of trial-an-error learning.
Scientists are mystified by how New Caledonia crows, a species from one little island in the Pacific, could have developed their abilities, which are inheritable. Mr. Bird observes how these birds can match the intelligence of primates despite having far different brains. The research is also causing scientists to ask fundamental questions about intelligence, as to what it is and whether amazing feats such as corvids display is really intelligence. There is still much to learn about the wisdom of corvids.
To read the entire article click and see several videos click on this BBC NEWS link.
COMMENT: Well, I guess we can't try to insult anyone anymore by calling him a "bird brain", can we? Seriously, the abilities God has given to these birds has to awe and inspire us. With the psalmist we declare, "How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Psalm 104:24 (NIV)
These discoveries, in my opinion, might be hard to explain from an evolutionist viewpoint. It would seem to be nearly impossible to describe how chimpanzees could have evolved their intelligence (to say nothing of human wisdom). But now the theory of evolution is faced with the task of explaining how a similar intelligence could have evolved a second time, this time in corvids on an entirely different branch of the tree of evolution.
The reasonable person ought to conclude that a Master Designer has given to birds, to apes, and to humans their separate intelligences, just what they need to survive. It is a failure of human intelligence to believe examples of intelligence in the natural world are just happy accidents. Should not we humans use our superior gift of wisdom to recognize and acclaim our wonderful Creator and to accept His gift of eternal salvation which Jesus Christ won for us on the cross of Calvary? That is the wisest, most intelligent thing we can do.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
How many injuries to people are caused each year by accidents they have with their pets?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate about 86,600 injuries a year, about 88 percent involving dogs but many falls also involving cats. Women are twice as likely to be injured as men, and people over 75 have the highest rates. Advice: know where you pets are at all times and train your dogs to not congregate around your feet.Source: Consumer Reports OnHealth (June, 2009)
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