The Genius of Birds

by Jennifer Ackerman

Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about.

As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Birds, Animals, Biology, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for three decades. She is the author of eight books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Genius of Birds, which has been translated into more than twenty languages. Her articles and essays have appeared in Scientific American, National Geographic, The New York Times, and many other publications. Ackerman is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Her articles and essays have been included in several anthologies, among them Best American Science Writing, The Nature Reader, and Best Nature Writing.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this over Christmas mostly because a customer ordered four copies saying it was brilliant and would make great gifts. So since I liked Bernd Heinrich's Mind of the Raven and his other books on ravens, owls and geese, I prepared to meet another 5-star natural history book. But I was disappointed.

Not very. It's still a 4 star (just) read. But although it is science-based, to some extent, it is full of unproven theories and anecdotes, some of which are very charming and some which belabour the point at length.

I always have a problem with scientists' testing of animals because we are testing them in comparison to our own intelligence not to themselves. I also have a problem with scientific pronouncements of animal behaviour being taken as gospel and anecdotes considered frivolous when they actually might be even more meaningful. Witness Jane Goodall's paradigm-shifting observations of the Gombe chimps.

Once I had an experience with some wild golden pheasants in Kew Gardens in London. It was spring, mating season and my son had got very close to a big, beautiful male bird and called me over. We were able to get within 6' of the bird. He didn't seem to care at all. Up strode another equally big and beautiful male accompanied by two drab females who were walking slightly behind him.

There was a row. The two male birds flew into the air and had a considerable fight with feathers flying and the earth kicked up. The two females stood together and watched the proceedings with interest. The first bird beat the second one, he even lost a feather or two and slunk off.

Now,in the tv documentaries, which invariably are presented and written by men, the two drab females are supposed to remain with the winner. Indeed, the winner thought so too! But the females went off with the loser, one on each side of him inclining their heads towards him that, anthropomorphism or not, definitely looked like they were comforting him. They hadn't watched the right documentaries!

So I do question both when the author says, "some scientists say" and when she goes off about, for instance the colour blue being so important to bower birds because it is the rarest colour in nature. She gives far to few theories about the homing instinct and ability to navigate and since I'm reading The Homing Instinct: Meaning and Mystery in Animal Migration right now, I'm amazed by all the different methods birds and other animals have to find their way home.

The difference between Bernd Heinrich and Jennifer Ackerman, is one of degree. Heinrich is a better scientist, better observer and better writer. His books are 10 star and hers... 4, enjoyable but too light.

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It´s are not just the complex social structures, the ability to learn to speak, etc, but especially the speed and accuracy of intelligence that may evolve higher than the one of other animals. To learn an 8 step method to get food might get tricky to impossible to many animals that are smart too.

What is unique and has the most potential for genetic engineering is the optimization of the use of space in those relatively small bird brains, that are, in relation to body size, as large as the ones of mammals, but minimized for optimized natural lightweight construction. If one would take this immense concentration of brainpower and put it in a whale or elephant, it´s computational power would explode, although there may be a problem with the heat and general overload of the system. Certainly, that could be fixed too by adapting the whole metabolism and organs to fit to the new brain but until then just understanding how so much can be processed by such a tiny unit will open up many other applications.

Orientation and navigation in birds are still a mystery and there seem to have evolved different methods of how to find the right way over thousands of kilometers. As melodious as singing birds are, as unclear is how they learn it and how complex their vocabulary might be, if they use it to express emotions and if they may be able to talk about the past, maybe dead birds they remember or complex philosophical topics.

All the included theories and ideas that might be the reason for the high intelligence make the book in some part fictional which I highly appreciate between the theoretical parts.

Because birds have tool use, understand complex correlations and human art, are descendants of the magnificent dinosaurs, can get very old, teach their kids, lie, fake, manipulate, can adapt to new environments, etc. they might evolve to something of very high intelligence in millions of years. If they would lose the ability to fly for higher possible brain size that still stays as highly connected as it was necessary for flying, evolve more and more skillful claws and live together in complex groups, building their houses together and get civilization diseases. Based on a different brain architecture with many similarities to humans in functioning, they could become equal to human intelligence.

A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real-life outside books:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up until four years ago I have had birds for most of my life. Parakeets, delightful finches, a crockety Cockatiel and some very clever love birds. Then my asthma became debilitating and I found birds have more allergies than dogs and cats. Who knew? So, I had to give away my two lovebirds. I knew how clever birds could be and even how cunning, but those in this book will surprise.

Ravens that use tools. Can figure out eight step puzzles and other games. I loved the shrub Jay's who hide their nuts for the winter, but are also thieves that steal nuts from others. They have also figured out a way to psyche out other would be thieves. Chickadees that have a early warning system based on perceived threat levels. They show empathy when confronted with a dead bird. Some hnow compassion to their partners. So much info is included, and explained so well.

Many I hadn't heard of an spent time looking them up on wiki, but I enjoyed this book immensely. Read it with a sense of wonder that all the bird slights, name calling such as bird brain, or lame duck, may actually be compliments.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I love birds!!



I listened to this from the library but I plan on getting the physical book. I quite enjoyed it!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🧠 🧠 🧠 🧠 s
What a birdbrain? Awk! After reading this book I cry Fowl! I wont use that term or think of the birds visiting my feeders in the same way again, especially the jays and pigeons.
Bird fanciers should enjoy this but you needn’t be an enthusiast to appreciate much of the content within. My favorite chapters were on navigation and caching skills.
Some things to crow about:
● Size does matter to the ladies: Give a hen a giant egg to sit on (even artificial) and she prefers it to smaller ones.
● Crows leave thank you gifts in feeders when they are treated regularly. Check out some treasures from Gabi Mann’s collection.
●
● Golden Winged Warblers anticipate deadly impending storms.
● Bee hummingbirds weigh less than an old penny.
●
● Birds don’t need to count calories. In an average thirty-year lifetime a tern may fly the equivalent of three trips to the moon and back
● Pigeons, our first air mail providers and GPS navigators, are more bookish than we might imagine, differentiating between the paintings of VanGogh, Monet, Picasso, and Chagall. Can I do that 🤔? Their average flying speed is an impressive fifty miles per hour. The Chinese military has built a force of ten thousand trained messenger pigeons in order to communicate with troops along borders in case of “electromagnetic interference or a collapse in their signals.”
●
Shorter than I thought at 267 pages because the rest of the count goes towards acknowledgements, notes, and index. This one just might win the award for most footnotes ever. Being an avid watcher of Nova and Nature much of the content was already familiar to me.
Overall it's interesting reading but it won’t keep you up like a night🦉.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I read a book like ‘The Genius of Birds' by Jennifer Ackerman? I walk a few times a week for exercise. At first, I had earbuds for listening to music and audiobooks jammed into my ears most of the time because I assumed it would be a little dull walking. But eventually I realized I was hearing birdsong all over the place. I wondered what kind of birds were making those sounds. I identified:

https://youtu.be/LfMsUuU9KtQ

and

https://youtu.be/fpTsnpsJJ2k

and

https://youtu.be/ZNsF_tyHiUY

and

https://youtu.be/PkOnpk8Wmow

and maybe

https://youtu.be/umFe7NLfQFw


and day, I saw a hawk sitting on top of a tall evergreen tree; the hawk caused a birdsong pandemonium, much like this video:

https://youtu.be/nOeKqvop6rw


and the following sound was one I heard all of the time despite that I am a mile away from Elliot Bay:

https://youtu.be/A-79gD1gMco


Who were these little noisy fellows (some not so little)? Why so noisy? I live in a medium-sized city with chunks of tamed parkland and an occasional polluted stream around me. How do birds survive in my urban environment? What and who are these birds of all colors and sizes? Crows in particular surround my area, in fact every area I have ever lived on the west coast. Are they the bosses, top of the bird food chain? How do birds sing anyway? What are they thinking? Do they think?

No book about birds can answer every question about birds. An encyclopedia set couldn’t include everything we have seen through millennia about birds. What ‘The Genius of Birds’ explores is primarily what has been discovered about how some birds think and communicate their thoughts, if they have thoughts. If birds have thoughts, what do they think about, and how does it specifically relate to their lives?Jennifer Ackerman discusses some of the testing scientists have devised for observing birds’ thinking behavior. The chapters are:

From Dodo to Crow
The Bird Way
Boffins
Twitter
Four Hundred Tongues
The Bird Artist
A Mapping Mind
Sparrowville


One bird, the New Caledonian crow, is tested frequently because it may be the smartest bird in the world! The book describes the tests the crow passes with ease. It can solve three-step puzzles using tools!

https://youtu.be/LF77qpbvkxo


Scientists have only recently seen with what organ birds use to sing and communicate! The author, Jennifer Ackerman, describes bird vocal chords, recently seen by an MRI. She also discusses various theories of if and why a species of bird devises different tunes and even accents - are songs passed down from parent to child? Or does the knowledge of tunes come along with the baby birds at birth? Is the how of birds that sing and talk related to human brain mechanisms? Are birds actually saying anything intellectually meaningful? Scientists can only make guesses about observed bird sounds and behavior. For instance, why do birds imitate the sounds of other birds, chainsaws, human babies crying and doors opening? Do they sing just to hear themselves, or only to attract mates, or do they also sound off to warn and teach young’uns? Do other species of birds or animals listen for a different bird species’ warnings, or recognize songs as warnings?

https://youtu.be/GpfF1xUqbOE


Some lovely bird tunes:

https://youtu.be/q15dT8h-ORU

https://youtu.be/mSB71jNq-yQ


According to ‘The Genius of Birds’, scientists and amateur birdwatchers have made some fascinating discoveries about bird cognition, culture (omg, birds appear to have culture, and it varies around the world even within the same species!), aesthetics, building skills, mapping talents, and adaptation skills, particular in adapting to us humans. What brain neurons are at work? Are their neurons the same as humans? Do their neurons function like our neurons when doing the same task? Do birds intentionally trick other species of birds and animals and if so, what kind of mental cognition is involved? Can birds connive and scheme? Do birds play around just for fun? She describes the suspected brain talents of various bird species. Her writing is cogent, and she has chosen interesting things to describe to us readers.

Most of what Ackerman discusses is what scientists (professional and amateur) have seen in studies and tests showing what possible cognitive activity is occurring behind the actions different species of birds do under certain circumstances. She describes what bird owners have told about what their pet birds have done (some stories are very funny). This book is interesting, but while fairly comprehensive in some bird brain studies, it left me wanting more. But clearly birds have a working intelligence behind their beautiful eyes!

Thankfully, Ackerman has included sections for Acknowledgements, Notes and Index.

It is an interesting book!


I am not the only one who has wondered what birds do with their lives. People see remarkable bird behavior all of the time once they begin to look. If you want more, gentle reader, Youtube.com is a treasure trove of bird videos and songs.


Speaking of bird behavior and culture:

Dancing birds:

https://youtu.be/wTcfDCjBqV0

https://youtu.be/c2c8IhVRlvo


Pretty bird pretty bird!

https://youtu.be/axa5KI06RDE


Advice to those who want to own birds who can imitate human language: if you do not want guests to hear the things you and your family say, do not say things within the hearing distance of your pet bird. Talking birds can speak VERY clearly, even if it might be only a mindless imitation. And I do think some birds are NOT simply imitating you...they are TALKING. They have feelings. Some like to cuddle and play and do mischievous tricks. They get mad. They pick up on cues from living with people.

Imitating electronics, plus R2D2 gets raped by a budgie:

https://youtu.be/m4ju5Zzv1_0

Talking bird:

https://youtu.be/jXc9ylCXqCw


Some speech might actually mean they have done something and they know how to get to you if they say, “hear me now, b*cth?” They hear and memorize speech from Tv and video games, too, besides from you.

Warning: fowl language, as well as foul

https://youtu.be/b22nUygu7h0


This video, well, idk, it’s just kinda soothing.

https://youtu.be/cnxwsC1RYFY


Alfred Hitchcock was on to something about birds, gentle reader, when he made that movie ‘The Birds.’ This book will give some weight to the idea of no longer using the term “bird brain” to disparage anyone. Wow, birds are cool.

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book about the intelligence of birds. In this book, Jennifer Ackerman describes a wide range of bird species, brain sizes and capabilities. Bird brains, in size relative to body weight, are similar to those of mammals. Of course, in absolute terms they are small, as their total weight must be minimal in order to fly. I learned so much from this book. I had no idea about some of the capabilities of our feathered friends.

The smartest birds appear to be crows, ravens, and parrots. The most clever bird seems to be the New Caledonian crow. Take a look at this video which shows a crow that has learned an 8-step method to get to some food. Only four animals make complex tools; humans, chimps, orangutans, and New Caledonian crows. And, the crows make hook tools; the only other species than humans. New Caledonian crows demonstrate cumulative technological change. Their tools are too complex to be invented by a single bird. New Caledonian crows have an extended juvenile period of learning tool-making from parents. Also, the lack of predators on New Caledonia allow crows time and ease of mind to tinker with sticks and barbed leaves.

Keas (small parrots) like play most of all; they love to horseplay. And they are practical jokesters. They have stolen TV antennae from houses, deflated automobile tires, and stolen money from cars. And, it seems like some birds actually enjoy playing, just for the fun of it. Take a look at this video, showing a crow enjoying sledding down a snow-covered roof on a jar lid, again and again.

Bird brains have evolved separately from mammals, so their brain architecture is quite different from that of humans. Nevertheless, their neural connection patterns are quite similar to those of humans. Sleep patterns and functions are similar between birds and mammals; these patterns seem to have evolved separately, in parallel.

Birds have a trade-off at birth, between immediate functionality--flying almost as soon as they are hatched--and greater brainpower, later. The question this book raises is not whether birds are smart--some are definitely smart--but rather, "why are they smart?" The best answer seems to be that birds are smart so that they can solve problems in their environment; how to get food from hard-to-get places. In Japan, crows drop nuts onto a roadway, and position the nuts so that passing cars break the nuts which they then recover. Crows and ravens have been observed to dig up rocks and drop them on invading researchers.

Scrub jays play a shell game with food that they store in caches. They bury, then later move or pretend to move food from one cache to another. They try to trick and confuse other scrub jays. They do this only in front of rival birds--not their mates. But they play this shell game only if they themselves have pilfered food from others in the past.

There is a fascinating description of how birds learn to sing, with parallels with humans learning to speak. It is a mystery, how birds and humans independently evolved similar approaches for vocal learning. One theory is that birds and humans evolved neural circuits that control body movements into vocal capabilities.

The book describes the art projects that male bower birds develop in order to attract mates. And this is followed by Darwin's really dangerous idea; colorful feathers or beautiful bowers might not just be indicators of a male's fitness, vigor and health--they can be desirable qualities, beatiful traits in the mind of the female. The female's preference has acted to evolve these traits in the male. Birds have been trained to distinguish between paintings by Picasso and Monet; they could distinguish impressionists from cubists. They could also learn to discriminate between good and bad paintings, as defined by human critics.

There are lots more areas where birds excel, even in comparison with humans. I won't cover them all here. I simply recommend to everyone who enjoys watching birds to read this book. It is beautifully written, comprehensive in scope, and the writing style is very engaging.

Oh, and one more thing; last night I dreamt that I was a bird. I flew up into the upper region of a big tree, worrying whether the thin, upper branches could support my weight. I figured out how to perch on a branch (a feat that seemed difficult at first), and then I talked with some of the other birds in the tree.

[Paula K · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are into birds and scientific data, go for it...or crows, pigeons, and house sparrows...

My interests lean towards the song birds that have been visiting my feeders for the past year...cardinals, bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, blue jays, woodpeckers, finches, juncos, and the perky Carolina wrens.

I am not interested in those noisy crows that can use tools. Don’t care how smart they are...or the house sparrows that kill other species nestlings. I can do without those in my yard. We do get some mourning doves, but pigeons in general are not my thing.

The author did however touch base on the exuberant chickadees having some smarts, and you just have to see them everyday to know that’s true...

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded down for jargoneering

I voted for this book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. It deserves ever one of its stars! I was fascinated by the breadth of the study's scope. I was impressed by Ackerman's lucidity of prose, despite the (inevitable, I suppose) use of a lot of scientific jargon.

I've been a bird fancier since the first time I saw a Baltimore oriole's nest in 1967. In fact, after the birds had raised their chicks and migrated north again, I scaled (for the one and only time in my life! so scared of heights I had to be rescued by my aunt's gardener) the pecan tree where I'd watched them live their South Texas breeding lives and got me that empty nest. It was a staple of my home decor until a careless mover crushed it in 1999. I was so angry I had to leave the house for an hour or I'd've crushed him.

Crows fascinate me to this day. In Austin in the 1970s, the street I lived on had gob-oodles of trees. Crows liked to perch in them because there was an extensive open space very near us. Great place to grub around (in the literal sense of the verb) and thus I could, over time, learn that there were certain trees where certain crows could normally be found. I also discovered that crows like multi-grain bread, which I do not, so they appreciated my gifts of whole crumbled loaves of the stuff that my mother couldn't afford to replace with anything except my preferred rye or pumpernickel bread. Thanks, guys!

This book resonated with me for those reasons, and also taught me a goodly amount of new information. I am completely unsurprised by the expanded knowledge scientists are accumulating about birds. They've been evolving for over 300MM years! Dinosaurs weren't stupid to begin with; add the last 65MM years for the birds to accumulate new knowledge and it shouldn't surprise us they're smart, it should surprise us if we find that they're dimwitted instinct-driven dum-dums.

Very highly recommended if you're already interested in birds; still recommended if you're only mildly curious about the avian family that we continue to decimate with our carelessness about the planet we live on. Pretty soon, ladies and gentlemen, THE BIRDS will be a prediction not a cautionary tale.

[liv ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birds are in fact very cool and very smart. It was a joy to learn about the intelligence of various species of birds, my personal favorites being the corvids (crows), bowerbirds, and pigeons, as well as the quirks of the more evolutionarily naive.

[Jay Schutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping to have more fun with this read. It is a scientific and close-up and personal look at the varying species of our avian neighbors and how they compare to other members of the animal kingdom, including humans.
This extensively researched book is for the more serious birder and contains many results of experiments on varying species of birds the world over.
A 5* read for the serious birder and 4*'s for the casual enthusiast like myself.
I'll just be happy watching the birds in my backyard. Everything from hawks to hummers.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the same time, I was reading this book, I was also reading, “The Summer Guests” by Tess Gerritsen in which her Martini Club had picked Ackerman’s book as their group’s book discussion selection. I thought it was a fascinating coincidence. Especially, when they started to get into their own discussion about birds. As a side note, I finished, but decided not to review “The Summer Guests.” Sometimes books are just for reading.

Let me first start by sharing my admiration for this book cover. It is the only painted color illustration offered of a bird in the whole book. Which is a shame. But it is absolutely stunning. The spectacular blue and gray feathers of this California Scrub Jay comes through vibrantly. Look at the claws as it clutches onto the stem of the plant/tree. And, the serious look in the eye with the white streak above it, is just gorgeous. Unfortunately for me, I really had hoped there would be more color illustrations of birds throughout the book. Still, the black and white bird illustrations that were offered at the beginning of each chapter are a nice treat. But this book cover illustration by Eunike Nugroho is something to be truly acknowledged, and that is why I am mentioning it.

Now let’s talk about the title of the book. I love the way the author starts this book. She is very clear that birds have gotten the short end of the stick, so to speak, when it comes to perception about their intelligence.

To be honest, any of us who are animal lovers, probably believe our pets are intelligent and have an innate ability to communicate with us. I already get this from my corgi dog Oliver with the way he can either shame face me into submission, or soften me because he is telling me everything, I need to know about what he needs from me in any given moment. So, those of us who have pets, obviously already believe in their abilities to creatively interface with us.

So, it is not surprising to any of us who have an affinity for animals, that we might wonder about ‘birds’ intellectual abilities to communicate, and especially their ability to communicate with humans. The more that science can bridge this gap, the more aware we can be in understanding them, their needs, and meeting and appreciating those needs. Or, at least appreciating what they bring to humans and nature, overall.

This is the beauty of this book. Helping readers reimagine our understanding of “bird brains.” To see and appreciate them differently. And, readers can certainly appreciate the author’s sense of wonder about birds.

Last minutes notes for consideration…

Throughout the book, Ackerman provides many explanations in layman’s terms of complex studies done on birds. Those birds with language skills are captivating. The studies are easily translatable, making them understandable for readers. Also, this book can be read at a slow pace, if desired. I chose to read this book in-between my novels, thus the slow pace worked well for me. I also appreciated that the book could be utilized as a teaching tool…especially for those who enjoy birdwatching, or are fascinated with birds in general.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of fascinating details of the incredible mental processes of various kinds of birds. Just a delight. The reason for four stars instead of five is the running commentary that assumes evolution in the background, which had the disconcerting effect of making the reader think that Ackerman was telling us a bunch of true and stupefying things, but was not paying any attention to just how amazing they were.

Darwinism is not just a house of cards -- it is an inverted house of cards, with the apex of the entire card pyramid being one upright joker, holding up the whole thing, and then, five stories up, the storytellers started adding bricks, cinder blocks, and anvils. Every couple pages, Ackerman heaves another brick at the top, as though there were nothing unusual going on at all.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about birds, and more! The author has compiled research from many sources to convey the capabilities and talents of a wide variety of bird species. In addition to the scientific studies, Ackerman includes anecdotes, current speculations, and a bit of humor. It is logically arranged and flows smoothly. The author’s love of birds shines through.

Highlights include:
- Birds with a preference for certain colors and art types
- The ability to remember where they cached food supplies, even months later
- Vocalization and songs as a form of bird communication
- Birds making and using tools, and teaching their young to do so
- Gift-giving
- Recognition of facial expressions

It requires a strong interest in science, animal intelligence, ornithology, or ecology to fully appreciate it, as there is an enormous amount of information imparted in a somewhat technical manner. Ackerman recounts many experiments – the setup, controls, and results. I listened to the audiobook, read by Margaret Strom. Her voice has a pleasing tone and she reads well.

On a personal note, I have a water feature in my backyard and always look forward to the spring, when I can reactivate it after the snowy season. I watch the many varieties of birds (finches, cardinals, jays, robins, doves, sparrows, chickadees, and even quail) that come to drink, bathe, or play. It is one of the small joys of my year.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Genius of Birds is mainly summaries of other people's research; most of which I was already familiar with. I would have preferred more original content. Frequently a topic is mentioned in several different chapters, sometimes in nearly identical wording, making the book feel even more repetitive.

I appreciate the included references, citations and useful index. This is too often neglected in pop-sci books.

The narrator of the audiobook frequently mispronounces words. For example, hypo-campus instead of hippo-campus. I quickly switched to the ebook, and I’m glad I did. John Burgoyne's illustrations, especially the cover, are so lovely. He also illustrated one of my favorite books, Dog Songs by Mary Oliver.

I noticed a few errors in the book, which hopefully will be corrected in future editions.

Some say vocal mimicry in birds is more like the Batesian version of mimicry: The monarch butterfly mimics the wing design of the toxic viceroy butterfly to warn would-be predators, “Eat me and you’ll die.”

— Monarchs do not mimic Viceroys. It was once thought that Viceroys were Batesian mimics of Monarchs and Queens, but research by David Ritland and Lincoln Brower ([Nature 350:497-498 (1991)]) has shown a Müllerian model may be more appropriate.

— Viceroys are not toxic. Viceroy caterpillars feed on members of the willow family, sequestering salicylic acid, which tastes bitter but is not toxic to predators. Monarchs feed on milkweed, sequestering steroids called cardenolides, which are both unpalatable and toxic to predators.


You might also enjoy:

✱ Alex & Me
✱ Mind of the Raven
✱ One Wild Bird at a Time
✱ The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature
✱ Under the Sea Wind
✱ Animals in Translation
✱ The Soul of an Octopus

[CathyMW · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a birder so I wanted to like this. The author reminded me of a kid writing a term paper and padding things trying to get to the minimum page limit. Just in the intro, she remarked 6 or 7 times about birds who cached their food and could find it later. Enough already.

There were some interesting studies and stories, but I found myself skimming most of the book to get past the tedious parts.

One chapter talked about birds creating elaborately decorated nests. Some photos would have been nice--here and other places.

[Matt (Fully supports developing sentient AGI) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of fun bird-facts, but this really sizzled my cortex: Songbirds, like humans, must learn their language from their tribe, their culture. They learn syntax and their local dialect which may differ from other tribes several miles away. While human language emerged a mere 100,000 years ago, the bird song heard outside your door is the distant echo of a language which may have originated in the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago - An unbroken chain of evolved, learned language. Bird song is the oral tradition of dinosaurs.

[La La · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant! It doesn't read like a traditional science textbook, but rather like sitting down with a knowledgeable person and having coffee and a good conversation about a mutually loved subject. The personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout the text make it a smooth and enjoyable read. I didn't want to put it down until I was finished.

I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The insult “bird brain” has always bothered me—how exactly is this insulting? I suppose if the only birds you are familiar with are domestic chickens and turkeys, you might think it’s appropriate, but if you’ve ever studied wild birds, you’ll know that it’s completely off the mark. Detailed observation of the domestic fowl might change your mind, too.

Think of the hummingbird—with a brain smaller than a pea, it manages to migrate long distances and maintain detailed mental maps of nectar sources in its territory, knowing when each flower will be refilled with sweet goodness and ready to be drained again! Or think about the Gray Jay, with its multitudinous stored foodstuffs, to be recovered before they have spoiled. Even the lowly pigeon can do amazing things—witness the homing pigeons, used successfully by people to communicate over great distances.

This book, while enjoyable, it not a scientific tome. Much of it consists of anecdotal evidence, which seems self-evident, but hasn’t necessarily been peer reviewed. If you are searching for a definite science textbook on bird intelligence, this book may leave you frustrated, but if you are a bird enthusiast you will enjoy gaining a new appreciation for our feathered neighbours.

[L.G. Cullens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable, informative, good naturalist book, with implications, insights, and questions beyond its scope.

Question: Do you know what courting has to do with the evolution of "intelligence" in vertebrates? :-)

And you might ponder, “As a human being,” Einstein once wrote, “one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists.”

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I enjoyed biology books more than I do, because by any reasonable measure this book is fascinating. Fortunately it is not too long, and broken into many short sections, making easy reading for those who struggle a little more with science books. Some cool facts I learned from this book:

- Birds’ brains, like ours, are oversized compared to their bodies, but intelligence and brain size vary significantly by species. Tool-using birds, like us, tend to have extended childhoods and a relative lack of predators, allowing them time and space to learn.

- Some birds—the star being the New Caledonian crow—are wizards at tool use, able to not just use tools to get food but to use tools to obtain other tools; to make tools (often involving much practice and learning); and to hang onto good ones for future use.

- Because toolmaking depends on learning rather than simple instinct, there’s cultural variation among birds in different places. The same is true of birdsong: there are local dialects, and you can discover where an imitative bird has been by the songs it’s picked up. And songs, like human language, slowly change over time.

- Birdsong (as opposed to simple calls) actually has quite a lot in common with human language: both birds and humans have a “language window” early in life when we need to hear and practice it, and similar brain pathways are employed.

- Birds have social savvy too. They can give gifts based on what they expect the recipient to like, and manage relationships with large numbers of others (including some species that are adept at adultery despite being socially monogamous). Some can recognize individual human faces, and pass on information about people to be avoided to other birds. Crows gather in noisy conclaves when another crow is killed, for reasons unclear to humans.

- Birds also have to manage ill intentions: some will steal food others have cached, while the bird hiding the food will keep track of which caches others spied on to move them later. Birds who are thieves themselves are more likely to guard against the same from others. All this requires a prodigious memory: some birds will have thousands of individual caches and must remember all the locations precisely.

- Birds can be taught to distinguish between styles of human art, and some birds even make art: specifically bowerbirds, whose males will set up a viewing area and an array of treasures of particular colors, organized for the best perspective. Female bowerbirds will visit various bowers and choose a mate based on their quality (as well as judging the males’ singing and dancing).

- And of course, birds are incredible at navigation, and can make their way home even when transported thousands of miles off-course. This seems to be a combination of many senses: birds’ magnetic sense (whose mechanisms we’re still not quite clear on); their sense of smell; potentially hearing (involving infrasound); and also sight, but usually just as they approach their home turf. Within a species, birds who navigate more have a larger hippocampus, which is true of humans too and associated with less mental decline in old age. (I am vindicated in my refusal to use GPS!)

And there are many more fun facts in this book, which you should definitely check out if you have any interest in birds. Unfortunately, the survival of many bird species is now threatened, bringing an inevitable downer note. But birds are even cooler creatures than I realized, so I’m glad to have learned more about them even if this is not my favorite kind of book.

[TheBookWarren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars - “Don’t judge a book by its cover” - One of the more infinitely reverberated & enunciated catch phrases & examples of western Literary nomenclature that exists. Infinitely quoted -For darn good reason too-it’s hardy advice as a metaphor. But perhaps when it is stripped of its meta-metaphoric usage, it reads & plays as an omnipresent force when discerning readers are stalking the shelves of their favourite bookstore.

This is how ‘The Genius of Birds’ - Came to be in my possession, like always I judged not by the cover, rejecting my initial prejudices of it being a book about birds and read the first 3 pages. It is here I learned that the aforementioned advice, is very much taken for granted & once every so often, we find a book that drives message back into our frontal-lobes, like a Pileated Woodpecker ramming it’s reinforced cranium into cedar tree in search of Carpenter Ants.

Like many great reads, in this meticulously written nonfiction things just aren’t what they seem. For this, we can thank both the author, as well as the remarkable subjects detailed in the chapters of her fun, insightful & beautifully unassuming book. Whether it is learning about the link in intelligence of birds to humans, or discovering that we really shouldn’t apply the same scale for any animals to any other outside of its species, or amazing death like being able to bury thousands upon thousands of buried feed oky to return months later & recover over 90% of them, or solve puzzles that the average child could only dream of solving or that some birds have been known to not only recognise and use but also create tools in order to use for a task otherwise impossible! Honestly, I don't think.ibe annoyed my wife more whisky reading another book thanks to wanting to instantly share so any incredible facts and anecdotal wonder.. Who knew?

As you have probably presumed by now, I had a wonderful time being schooled on Birds, whilst also being freed of the tragic-myth amongst society that ‘birdbrain’ is denoted as an affliction of ‘lesser than’ intelligence, but in fact should be used in the complete reverse manner.. Birds are simply remarkable creatures that I will never view remotely the same way again.

Go on, surprise yourself..

[Julio Bernad · Rating 4 out of 5]

El ingenio de los pájaros es una muy buena obra de divulgación científica escrita por una persona que, claramente, habla de un tema que encuentra apasionante y del que conoce muy bien. La bibliografía utilizada es sólida prueba de esto último. He leído libros con intenciones similares el doble de largos con una bibliografía tan escueta que cabría en un post-it. Otra cosa diferente es que los artículos referenciados estén justificados, sean veraces o estén actualizados -en ciencia, esto último a los cinco años deja desgraciadamente de importar-. No he tenido tiempo para examinar la bibliografía, así que voy a proceder a hablar única y exclusivamente de los contenidos del libro, que es lo que interesa: los únicos interesados en las bibliografías son los miembros de un tribunal universitario, y ni estos se la leen.

La tesis de que parte Ackerman es novedosa aunque no debería: las aves no son imbéciles, al menos no todas. Nuestro pensamiento antropocentrista nos hace reconocer inconscientemente la inteligencia en seres similares a nosotros, o al menos relacionados con nosotros. No nos sorprende que nuestra mascota canina nos da la pata o se hace el muerto, o que los orangutanes utilicen palos a modo de lanzas para pescar, porque no dejan de ser mamíferos, podemos vernos a nosotros mismos reflejados en ellos, cuando de pequeños descubríamos nuestro entorno y resolvíamos con éxito pequeños desafíos. Pues bien, las aves también presentan este tipo de comportamientos, también saben resolver problemas de complejidad variable, cómo si no hubieran logrado adaptarse a la practica totalidad de ecosistemas de nuestro planeta. Ackerman nos relata rigurosamente cada comportamiento inteligente de los pájaros, y a cada comportamiento le dedica un capítulo poblado por numerosos ejemplos. Tenemos capítulos en los que descubrimos la capacidad analítica y resolutiva de los cuervos de Nueva Caledonia -que ahora gozan de mayor fama gracias a Youtube-, la infinita batería de trinos y reclamos con que cuentan los sinsontes y ruiseñores, la curiosidad rayana en temeridad de los carboneros o las grandes dotes de navegación de las aves migratorias, por enunciar solo algunos.

El gran triunfo de este ensayo es su sencillez. No rehúye el lenguaje técnico, pero siempre cuenta con una explicación para aquellos menos familiarizados con la terminología científica. Esta sencillez no debe confundirse con superficialidad, porque la autora sabe muy bien de lo que habla, nunca simplifica, de hecho, tiende a excederse en algunos puntos. En efecto, algunos capítulos son más largos de lo que les convendría porque no dan para tantas páginas, y otros se sienten alargados y repetitivos no por su falta de contenido, sino por las constantes referencias a ideas y ejemplos desarrollados en capítulos anteriores. Eso, unido a que muchos pájaros mencionados son aves americanas, pueden suponer un desafío al lector foráneo en tanto a que no nos son familiares.

Otro gran éxito es que logra romper varias ideas preconcebidas, como, por ejemplo, el instinto. Mucha gente cree que las aves en particular, y el resto de animales en general, nacen con todos los conocimientos necesarios para desenvolverse en la naturaleza una vez alcanzan la adultez. Bien, no es así. Un perro no nace sabiendo cómo dar la pata ni rodar sobre sí mismo, al igual que un canario no adquiere su variedad tonal sin escuchar a sus progenitores. Las aves aprenden, al igual que muchos otros animales. La docencia no es un invento humano, como tampoco lo son la curiosidad o el juego.

Sin embargo, la autora peca de entusiasta al aceptar ciegamente algunos de las tesis que plantea porque, y esto es muy importante, tienen un respaldo experimental. Que un experimento revele resultados esperables por las hipótesis planteadas no quiere decir que haya una relación causa efecto. De hecho, incluso ella misma relata algunos escenarios en las que las aves no se comportaron de la manera esperada a la hora de resolver un experimento, cuando en un primer momento habían sido capaces de resolver el desafío con éxito ¿Quiere decir esto que las aves no son inteligentes? En absoluto, quiere decir que no todos los experimentos se adecuan a la hipótesis o que no todos pueden arrojar respuestas concluyentes, por lo que, o se debe replantear la hipótesis de partida o se debe rediseñar el experimento. Pero divago. Lo importante es, y es en lo que yo personalmente discrepo con la autora, es que los experimentos presentados en el libro han demostrado, y hasta medido, la inteligencia de las aves. Y es que es muy difícil dilucidar cuán inteligente es un animal tan diferente a nosotros evaluándolo bajo parámetros netamente humanos.

He ahí mi única crítica al libro desde lo científico, que, por supuesto, no deja de ser una opinión personal e intransferible. Por lo demás, es una delicia de libro que cualquier aficionado a la ornitología o la vida salvaje disfrutará. Eso sí, no puedo asegurar lo mismo para aquellos que solo sientan curiosidad por el tema, quizá en su caso este libro resulte demasiado denso y repetitivo. Aún así, creo que les merecerá la pena el intento.

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birds are fascinating creatures. As Jennifer Ackerman points out in The Genius of Birds, we do them a disservice by calling them “bird brains.” This is a book precisely about that—bird brains. More than that, it’s also about bird minds. The eight chapters here each explore different kinds of bird intelligence, many of which are jaw-dropping. We’ve been told for so long that we alone are the “smart” species that when we see evidence of intelligence elsewhere we tend to doubt it. We may be more arrogant than intelligent, when it comes to the final reveal.

Chapter 1 is devoted to exploring the mental life—the mind—of a variety of birds. There’s some amazing stuff here. Chapter 2 looks at the physical brain of birds; small, yes, but then so are their bodies (at least most of them.) It pays to keep in mind that we still have trouble sorting out human brains so we shouldn’t rush to judge others. The third chapter considers the smartest problem-solving birds—the kinds the can make and use tools and can infer the “theory of mind” we so preciously guard as human prerogative. Then the next chapters considers how birds live in society. They share social intelligence with us; and perhaps, looking at world politics, surpass us a good deal. Chapter 5 focuses on vocalization and the way that some birds have come to understand and mimic human language. Okay, so they don’t speak it like a native, but they comprehend more than we give them credit for. The sixth chapter looks at the artistic taste of birds and features the amazing bower bird that builds houses with decorations simply to impress one another. They don’t live in them, but they build them nevertheless. Chapter 7 treats the navigational ability of birds and discusses their various ways of finding out where they are, including sensing the earth’s magnetic field. The last chapter consider the scrappy house sparrow and how it has adapted to our human environment but then it quickly turns poignant as it shows how our behavior, and our global warming, is driving bird extinction.

I note on my blog post about the book (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) that humans tend to think intelligence rests only with us. We co-evolved with birds (and other creatures) to the place where we currently find ourselves. The animal world has much to teach us about how to live intelligently in the world. We need to pay attention before it’s too late.

[Yun · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't finish it because it's such a slogfest to read. It jumps from topic to topic and is extremely dense with technical details, so much so that it's hard to understand some of the sentences and points. It reminds me of a boring textbook from school. Maybe a serious birder would enjoy this book (and be able to understand it), but it's just too tedious for a regular reader like me.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love birds, am fascinated by them, so I was looking forward to this book so much. I got to about page 65 before I admitted that I was never going to finish it. I was just so BORED with the style, the endless citation of studies. I wanted a chatty book with examples and anecdotes but instead, this book read like a thesis. So disappointing.

[Atila Iamarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um daqueles livros legais de ler pelas curiosidades que ele vai contando, na mesma linha do Are We Smart Enough.

Ackerman tirou o livro para mostrar como tem uma série de comportamentos entre aves que mostram que elas sabem muito mais do que parece. Com mais câmeras, mais cientistas e mais pessoas filmando e compartilhando o comportamento dos bichos, estamos tendo muito mais chances de saber o que os animais fazem. Quem mais iria acreditar que corvos fazem snowboarding se não fosse pelo YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WupH...

Ela passa por vários tipos de inteligência, espacial, comunicação, social, capacidade de aprender. E ao longo do livro vai contando como descobrimos aquilo e explicando até detalhes como o que faz uma espécie capaz de aprender novas habilidades quando a espécie mais próxima não aprende nada de novo.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ackerman is a good science writer. She gives negative examples, she explains about how some interpretations of data can be made to say 'oh look!' or can be explained away with a "killjoy" conclusion. She understands the scientific method of random sampling, control group, etc. She knows that there are lots and lots of unanswered questions, and insufficient data to be assured of the theories of those we think we probably have answered.

But still, she's a journalist, not a scientist. There are so many reports here of birds doing amazing things, and notes in the back to justify all the anecdotes, that the impression a reader is given is one of total awe for birds' intelligence. But almost none of the anecdotes are backed up in the text with explanations of the research. All too often I wondered, "How on earth could they measure that? Or figure out that?"

I prefer books with a tighter focus that take the time to construct the argument being made by the scientist author. This was often entertaining, but seldom enlightening. I still favor, as a recommendation for you about animal intelligence, Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, by the ethologist Frans de Waal.

I do have some book darts here:

I'm charmed by the mental image of the little stint, a sandpiper, skittering along the edge of the waves, as if thinking, "can't get my knees wet, can't get my knees wet."

Crow researchers admit that "The trick is keeping them amused,... making their tasks hard enough to keep them interested and engaged."

And in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where my middle son worked on a team of wildlife biologists, one crow "lobbed three pine cones at a scientist's head as he climbed up to its nest." (I'll have to ask my son about that.)

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This was an interesting book! I had been anticipating a book that described the intelligence and behaviors of birds to be a very dull read. I was wrong ... this was such an easy read that I just couldn't put it down. The author did a great job in introducing the attributes of birds from tool making, social networking, vocal ability and much more. I learned a lot and will never look at a bird in my yard the same way again.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

One must be a major devotee of birds to love this book. It is well researched and written: exploring avian intelligence, mating, migration, cognition, and evolution. It had a particularly elegant section on the dangers of anthropomorphism: the attribution of human characteristics to animals. However, my major criticism of the book was that it was guilty of the very thing it warned against.