Bird intelligence studies  

"...Birds are aware, intelligent, and shockingly like humans in numerous ways including their unique personalities, their comprehension of concepts, and their flexible behavior." - from a review of the book Human Nature of Birds, by Theodore Xenophon Barber.

One of the things that got me interested in conducting first hand interaction with birds is the intelligence studies about them I read about in various publications.

I personally found the above book to be highly enlightening, and eye-opening with regard to showing how the study of fellow animals in the past has been so fundamentally flawed. May I suggest that if you don't already have a copy that you click here to get one.

Related links & info:

The work of Dr. Irene Pepperberg - research on African Grey parrot intelligence.

There is also a video of her work called Alex the Grey - a valuable source of visual information found nowhere else publicly. The following page contains ordering information: http://www.wasatchavian.com/forsale.htm

Note that Alex the Grey is owned by some libraries. Thus you can request that your local library obtain this item for you through their Interlibrary Loan service.

Tool use by crows: http://www.dnh.mv.net/ipusers/jcrow/crow.html

Books I recommend for anyone interested in bird & fellow animal intelligence:

Bird Brains - The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays
by Candace Savage (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1995)
Click here to obtain this book. Good for crow lovers especially.

Animal Minds by Donald R. Griffin - click here to obtain this book.
Excellent for anyone interested in fellow-animal intelligence.

Page owner: Jonathan - - to visit my main home page click here

Information on background: Gizmo - lightened image - Timneh African Grey

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