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Are birds as smart as a 7-year-old ?


Saru

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Studies in to bird intelligence have suggested that birds are just as intelligent as young children.

By pitting birds against boys and girls using tests inspired by the Aesop's fable in which a thirsty crow is able to drink from a pitcher after using pebbles to raise the water level to within its reach.

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Just because birds have a naturally instinct towards a tool does not make them smart. Tool use is about adaptability. And they don't show that.

Are birds smarter then 7 year olds because they know how to make a nest and kids don't?

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Interesting. Dogs are considered to be at the same level like three or four year olds. But why not, some birds are really bright. Not too sure if they're smart as seven year old child, though.

Edited by St. Jimmy
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New TV game show, are you smarter than a bird?

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Does this mean we can't use the expression, 'bird brain' anymore?

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I know a whole family of people who aren't as smart as a bird's egg, let alone an adult bird.

Seriously, though...it doesn't surprise me that we are starting to understand we're not the only intelligent species on this planet. I just hope that with each realization of the intelligence of other species, we lose at least a tiny bit of our arrogance. (Not holding my breath, though...)

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Studies in to bird intelligence have suggested that birds are just as intelligent as young children.

Surely that is just sexist...

Edited by Junior Chubb
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There have been tons of experiments done to show avian intelligence. Corvids in particular. Crows have performed tasks involving tools that even some adults would have a hard time figuring out. Using one tool to obtain another tool used to unlock another tool to obtain a reward. It baffles my mind how they can figure that out. Their brain to body mass ratio is way towards the top of the animal kingdom. They may be smaller, but their brains work differently than that of a mammal. In the future it may be the edge needed for avian world domination. Even less intelligent birds like the pigeon have shown an amazing ability for remembering a large number of human faces. Chickens will learn from observation, and surely everyone has heard of the crows in Japan who crack nuts by dropping them into traffic. That's some darn fine adaptability. Birds are smart.

Sometimes people don't give animals enough credit, and sometimes people give children too much credit. I bet if you gave both a chimp and a four year old child a box of crayons, the chimp would likely create something similar to Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and the child would likely end up with teeth full of colored wax. Those are just my thoughts.

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I agree, we don't give animals enough credit for their intelligence and we give ourselves too much.

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Here's a video of a crow not just using a tool but making one. Correct me if i'm wrong but I think this is the only evidence of a non-human making a tool.

[media=]

[/media]
a laboratory crow named "Betty" improvised a hooked tool from a wire with no prior experience.[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_use_by_animals#Birds

Edited by DKO
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I once saw a video of a horse picking up a long stick and then trying to scratch it's back with it.

Edited by Spid3rCyd3
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I guess they're more smarter than the autistic 7 year olds.

Why must you mention children with autism?..I don't know enough about autism in children, but I sure as heck wouldn't find it smart to slam them...

Edited by Beckys_Mom
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So as someone who bred and raised birds, a LOT of them over the years, I can tell you that the accepted theory is that some breeds, can be as bright as a 4-7 year old child.

However, heres the big "gotcha" while they might have cognitive ability of a 4 to 7 year old... they rarely have the emotional stability of more than about a 2 year old. Use your own deductive reasoning to imagine the kinds of problems that may present. :D

Edited by MissMelsWell
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i'd argue that crows (and ravens) are smarter then half the young kids in my neighbourhood >.<

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i'd argue that crows (and ravens) are smarter then half the young kids in my neighbourhood >.<

Same kids that won't stay off your lawn? ^_^

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Same kids that won't stay off your lawn? ^_^

the ones that egg my house for no reason :no:

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the ones that egg my house for no reason :no:

Kids who do that want for you to come out and go mad at them... If you do not give them a reaction..it puts them off.... I know this, I used to play thunder and lightening as a kid - Knock on the door like thunder......and run like lightening .... I used to think it was fun when the person would come out to yell at us... IF they did not come out to yell......we never went back near them again... When I think back on the things we got up to as kids.. I face palm myself lol

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i'd argue that crows (and ravens) are smarter then half the young kids in my neighbourhood >.<

Apparently crows arent too smart, my little Jack Russell with his malformed little legs manages to kill them in my yard. He even got one when he was on a chain....

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Kids who do that want for you to come out and go mad at them... If you do not give them a reaction..it puts them off.... I know this, I used to play thunder and lightening as a kid - Knock on the door like thunder......and run like lightening .... I used to think it was fun when the person would come out to yell at us... IF they did not come out to yell......we never went back near them again... When I think back on the things we got up to as kids.. I face palm myself lol

they've done it over 12 times now. >.< the police say they can't do anything unless they catch them - and we're not allowed to aprehend them either >.< and it's not just my house; my friend is being hit and so are three other houses. my friend had a 12 pack of eggs smashed into the engine of his car - that cost a pretty penny getting that cleaned out >.<

Apparently crows arent too smart, my little Jack Russell with his malformed little legs manages to kill them in my yard. He even got one when he was on a chain....
baby crows (and ravens) sneak up to dogs (and wolves and coyotes) and pulls hair out of their bodies. they do this to test how quick a dog's reaction time is - so they can safely eat from the same kill, etc. usually, dogs that catch crows, are catching the slow crows (weeding out the unfit ones). sounds harsh, but reality is harsh :S Edited by Bavarian Raven
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they've done it over 12 times now. >.< the police say they can't do anything unless they catch them - and we're not allowed to aprehend them either >.< and it's not just my house; my friend is being hit and so are three other houses. my friend had a 12 pack of eggs smashed into the engine of his car - that cost a pretty penny getting that cleaned out >.<

You and your friend should gather a lot of rotten eggs...Wait on the kids...When they are sneaking up to egg your house, you two ambush them with the rotten eggs lol

Joking aside...It is a shame they say you cannot apprehend them...but see the thing with apprehending them is too much agro involved... Get security cameras..that will take footage of them egging your property and then show it to the police...

Edited by Beckys_Mom
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the ones that egg my house for no reason :no:

Hire bigger kids to beat up those kids? :innocent:

Edited by Spid3rCyd3
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Why must you mention children with autism?..I don't know enough about autism in children, but I sure as heck wouldn't find it smart to slam them...

Just to add to this, one in ten autistic children can display aspects of Savantism.

Developmental delays in autistic children should not be viewed detrimentally, a lack of social skills can be just one of the aspects of the disorder - it has nothing to do with intelligence.

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