From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

The Genius of Birds

Jennifer Ackerman

Start date: October 1, 2018

Finish date: October 31, 2018

Discussion: Book Club 2018

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Book Club 2018

December 2018 - Atomic Bomb
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What Members Thought

Dec 22, 2016 Petra X rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-150-reviews, medicine-science, 2016-read, animals-ethology, reviewed, getting-a-bit-personal-here

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 t 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. ...more

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Oct 20, 2018 David Rubenstein rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biology, linguistics, evolution, nonfiction, science

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 parrot 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.
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May 04, 2016 Charlene rated it liked it

Shelves: biology

Studying birds in evolutionary bio was so eye opening. I loved to learn about how females choose males, how males use song to compete with other males, how each sex fights off other birds who want to have sex with their mate, how bower birds build intricate structures to woo the females, how jays brilliantly hide their treasures and use Machiavellian trickery, etc.

This book was well researched but I think only bird watchers or true bird lovers could fall in love with this book. It was too dry f ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Kathleen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: natural-history

I thought I knew a lot about birds, but this book gave me an updated and better informed view. Ackerman's writing is beautiful and engaging. ...more

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Dec 11, 2018 bup rated it really liked it

Shelves: science, animal-minds, consciousness, 2018, our-dying-planet

As with all non-fiction science books, the last chapter is prescribed: we're totally screwed.

Also, birds be trippy. ...more

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Apr 24, 2016 Jennifer rated it really liked it

A beautifully written, thoughtful book. As someone who can (and does!) spend hours with the birds who visit my yard, reading about their different kinds of intelligence just charms me that much more. Very much recommended.

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