# Avian Intelligence **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440 "2000-03-11T04:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wood\_Thrush](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@Wood\_Thrush](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wood_Thrush)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/1 "2000-03-11T04:44:00Z")
I think overall, as a whole, birds is much more intelligent than mammals (Save the higher primates, but even they are rivaled by crows, jays, ravens, and parrots.). Who agrees? Who dissagrees? Also, If you back things up, don’t BS. I hate that. I love discussing this stuff! 😃 * * * “Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; whenever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of heaven are not shut against him” –Thoreau, on the song of the wood thrush ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/2 "2000-03-11T04:58:00Z")
I think it’s hard to compare, since there are smart and dull examples of each class. Monkeys are smarter than chickens; crows are probably smarter than sheep. I mean, why do they run from border collies? Has any one of them ever thought to stop and test what would happen if they ignored the little bark boxes, fer cryin out loud? Test your environments! What are you, sheep? Okay, pardon my rant. The point is, it’s difficult to test something as different as intelligence for a herd animal vs. that of a scavenger vs. that of a predator. Wolves have elaborate hunting strategies and teamwork, which certainly requires brainpower, while a raptor can mentally map huge areas of terrain. I wonder if there are more dumb-as-a-post mammals than birds, since herding is more of a mammalian characterstic. One might say that herding actually requires some stupidity, or all the ungulates (buffalo, horses, reindeer, etc.) would get curious and wander all over the place, in which case you wouldn’t really have a herd. On the other hand, bird groupings can be a lot like herds; the passenger pigeon was probably not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Until gunpowder, it didn’t have to be; the passenger pigeon could out-reproduce any predator, stupidity notwithstanding. So I’d guess that intelligence varies much more with eco-niche than it does with taxonomic class. Sharks are cleverer than herring; squids are smarter than oysters. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Wood\_Thrush](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@Wood\_Thrush](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wood_Thrush)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/3 "2000-03-11T05:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I mean, why do they run from border collies? Has any one of them ever thought to stop and test what would happen if they ignored the little bark boxes, fer cryin out loud? Test your environments! If a pickup truck was barreling towards you as you cross the street, would you stay in the road to see if it stops? ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/4 "2000-03-11T05:05:00Z")
me no agree. * * * _what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox_ ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/5 "2000-03-11T05:42:00Z")
This subject comes up a lot, doesn’t it? I’ve come to the conclusion that humans don’t have the intelligence to accurately judge the comparative intelligence of other creatures. Peace, mangeorge * * * I only know two things; I know what I need to know And I know what I want to know Mangeorge, 2000 ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/6 "2000-03-11T06:25:00Z")
birds is much more intelligent than mammals Who agrees? Who dissagrees? Also, If you back things up, don’t BS. I hate that. I love discussing this stuff! 😃 \*\* [/QUOTE] ---- birds is much more intelligent than mammals. Which kinds a mammels?? birds is much more intellligent then moles me thinks… but humans much more intelligent then Quaker parrots me thinks! 🙂 * * * I am sofa king, we todded. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/7 "2000-03-11T06:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by B\_Line12: > \*\* birds is much more intelligent than mammals > > Who agrees? > > Who dissagrees? > > Also, If you back things up, don’t BS. I hate that. > > I love discussing this stuff! 😃 > \*\* ---- birds is much more intelligent than mammals. Which kinds a mammels?? birds is much more intellligent then moles me thinks… but humans much more intelligent then Quaker parrots me thinks! 🙂 \*\* [/QUOTE] Don’t you hate it when tou’re trying to be a smart-ass, and then screw up your own post? 😃 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/8 "2000-03-11T07:06:00Z")
It’s the birds, alright - out there right now, hatching plots against us. I only feed them so they won’t peck my eyes out, come the planned coop d’etat. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/9 "2000-03-11T13:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Kilgore Trout: > \*\*me no agree. > \*\* “Me also make poor use of personal pronouns. Oongawa! Tarzan go now. Ugh.” [http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif](http://www.beginbids.com/ubb/smilies/icon25.gif) * * * You should tell the truth, expose the lies and live in the moment."-Bill Hicks “You should tell the lies, live the truth and expose yourself.” - Bill Clinton ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/10 "2000-03-11T14:10:00Z")
**Wood Thrush** writes: > [@](#): > > birds is much more intelligent than mammals I think that that settles the matter right there: you’ll never see a bird make an error like that 🙂 * * * “I don’t just want you to feel envy. I want you to suffer, I want you to bleed, I want you to die a little bit each day. And I want you to thank me for it.” – What “Let’s just be friends” _really_ means ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/11 "2000-03-11T16:28:00Z")
The kind of thing you’d **expect** to come from a poster named “Wood Thrush” > [@](#): > > I think overall, as a whole, birds is much more intelligent > than mammals * * * Disable Similes in this Post ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/12 "2000-03-11T19:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by aseymayo: > \*\*It’s the birds, alright - out there right now, hatching plots against us. I only feed them so they won’t peck my eyes out, come the planned coop d’etat. \*\* “Coop” d’etat – splort! How much do keyboards cost these days? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/13 "2000-03-11T20:22:00Z")
There is an African Grey Parrot named ‘Alex’, which has surpassed just about every intelligence measurement used on animals. It is apparently smarter than Koko the Gorilla, dolphins, etc. [http://www.cages.org/research/pepperberg/index.html](http://www.cages.org/research/pepperberg/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/14 "2000-03-11T20:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by mangeorge: > \*\* > Don’t you hate it when tou’re trying to be a smart-ass, and then screw up your own post? 😃 > Peace, > mangeorge\*\* Why YES by Gawd I do’s! :0 ---
**Author:** ![Wood\_Thrush](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@Wood\_Thrush](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wood_Thrush)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-intelligence/8440/15 "2000-03-11T23:52:00Z")
I originally was using the class names, Mammalia and Aves, so it was Aves is… But I decided to turn it down a notch and switch to normal names, but I didn’t change “is” to “are”. By the way, Ahunter, did you know that a wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) is an actual bird of mainly deciduous woodlands? Rusty headed and smaller than a robin, the wood thrush is plumper than the other brown thrushes. It is distinguished by the deepining redness about the head and the larger more numerous round spots. Its song, considered widely as the most beautiful in North America, is flutelike and the phrases are rounder than those of other thrushes. The call of this woodland mistrel is a rapid \*pip-pip-pip-pip[/p]. What did you mean by that remark anyway? ☹ Are you prejudiced against wood thrushes? * * * “Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; whenever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of heaven are not shut against him” –Thoreau, on the song of the wood thrush