Many birds live in flocks and interact with others in the flock. They can have a structured pecking order. Some birds can make incredible nests or bowers. Some migrate long distances and can even fly at night and not loose their way. Many have elaborate songs that can change from year to year. There is also at least once species of bird that does use a tool. One of the black palm cockatoos uses a stick to pound on a tree like a drum to make his claim on his territory.
The parrots and corvids have been proven to be very intelligent and have a very long longevity.
I don't know if you are familiar with Dr. Irene Pepperburg's work with Alex the African grey parrot. This parrot can identify objects by size, shape, and color. The research she has done with this bird and her other grey (Griffin, i think) is very fascinating. If you would like to see some of the research that has been done with him you can check out their web site at: http://www.alexfoundation.org/research/index.html
I personally keep both lizards and birds. I like all the animals I keep, but the parrots are the ones that amaze me the most. Oh and not only do my birds know how to get back into their cage for food, but they can also escape. I have had to add clamps to one of my cages, because the bird figured out the latch. I also know someone with a cockatoo that not only figured out how to escape from its cage, but also figured out the combination lock that was added to the cage. Must have watched its owner open the lock and remembered the combination.
Catriona
At 08:27 AM 10/29/2003 +0100, you wrote:
Well, I tend to agree on the idea that lizards outsmart most birds. A breeder of lots of Bearded dragons and lots of Lonchura cyanura-birds (and several other lizards and birds) once told me he was absolutely convinced that the capacity to analyse new environments was much better develloped in the lizards he knew than in any bird he ever had, parrtos included. to quote: "Lizards have an uncanny capacity to inmedeately find a hide-out in a environment they absolutely do not know." Which in my experience is not always truth. Another example he gave was that escaped birds definitely seem to want back into thier cage again (food warmth and mate..) but tend to have a lot of problems finding their way in. Quite unlike f.i.Phelsuma klemmeri in a large vivarium I know of who run in and out the viv as if it was made for that since day two.. But well a Binet/Spears test for IQ might proove me wrong here..
Greetings.. Peter Mudde Hoofdredacteur 'onder het Palmblad' www.palmblad.com
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