“Why are birds smart?”

 Dr. Dianno Marone presented a compelling paper questioning why birds are capable of complex cognition. Corvids and parrots possess very light brains, some as light as one gram, and no isocortex, so scientists would not have predicted their cognitive abilities being comparable to apes. Over the years, birds have been regarded as creatures of simple instincts, only worried about finding worms and building nests. However, recent research challenges this view, showing that certain bird species possess remarkable cognitive abilities that suggest a level of intelligence that far exceeds expectations. These abilities—like problem-solving, social learning, and even tool use—have led scientists to reconsider the mental capacities of these once seemingly simple creatures.

It has been challenging for scientists to understand what aspect of the bird brian allows for higher cognitive functioning. Bird brains are seemingly mostly made up of homogenous nuclear clusters, which would suggest limited cognition, but it has been shown that birds have a brain area that serves as a prefrontal cortex-like area. 

Birds such as crows, ravens, and parrots have been shown to exhibit problem-solving skills that rival those of primates. In a groundbreaking study by Emil M. P. Emery and Nicola S. Clayton (2004), published in Science, demonstrates how Eurasian jays plan for future needs, an ability previously believed to be exclusive to humans and apes. Their research showed that these birds can store away food in preparation for future scarcity and even engage in deceptive behavior to protect their resources. Scientists have begun to look more into anatomical and cognitive similarities to search for an answer to their intellect. 

One of the reasons why we are so surprised by birds' intelligence is rooted in our own cognitive biases. Humans tend to anthropomorphize animals, attributing to them human-like qualities that may not be applicable. This inclination often leads us to underestimate the mental capacity of species whose behaviors we fail to understand. Moreover, there is a misconception that intelligence is directly linked to brain size or structure. Birds have relatively small brains compared to mammals, but studies, like those of cognitive ethologist Alex Kacelnik, show that certain bird species, particularly crows, have highly developed neural structures that enable complex thinking. The compactness of the bird brain doesn’t limit its intellectual capacity but rather allows for highly efficient neural processing.

Work Cited

Emery, E. M. P., & Clayton, N. S. (2004). The mentality of crows: Convergent evolution of intelligence in corvids and apes. Science, 306(5703), 1903-1907.

Güntürkün O, Pusch R, Rose J. Why birds are smart. Trends Cogn Sci. 2024 Mar;28(3):197-209. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.11.002. Epub 2023 Dec 13. PMID: 38097447; PMCID: PMC10940863.