Image copyright Ernie Janes/naturepl.com

Despite a reputation for being hopelessly dumb, chickens are remarkably smart and empathetic, the columnist found.

Reputation: tochicken is a stupid bird, a walking factory for the production of meat and delicious eggs.

Actually: uhthe most common bird in the world is intelligent and perhaps even able to respond to the condition of its fellows, which raises a number of ethical questions for the poultry industry.

The case with chickens is somewhat unusual.

There are over 19 billion chickens on Earth, making them one of the most common vertebrate species on our planet.

Image copyright Image caption How much intelligence is needed to peck grain?

However, most people rarely see them or do not see them at all - at least in a living form.

This leads to rather strange ideas about chickens.

According to some studies, people often do not even classify them as ordinary birds.

Nevertheless, these are typical representatives of the order Galliformes, to which such bird species as turkey, partridge and pheasant belong.

Chickens can count, have some degree of self-awareness, and even manipulate each other.

In addition, chickens are often considered stupid animals, the psyche of which does not have the complex properties of "higher" species - for example, monkeys or great primates.

This attitude, fostered by the typical popular culture depiction of chickens, may help people to eat eggs and meat from factory-farmed chickens without much worries.

But in fact, chickens are not stupid at all.

In fact, they have such a high intelligence that even a short acquaintance with these birds can break ingrained stereotypes.

As part of a study published in 2015, Lisel O'Dwyer and Susan Hazel conducted practical exercises with graduates from the University of Adelaide in Australia. Studying psychology and perception processes, students conducted experiments that included training chickens.

I never suspected that chickens are pretty smart and learn fast enough.

Before the start of classes, students answered the questions of the questionnaire. Most of them admitted that they had little to do with chickens and perceive them as primitive creatures, incapable of feeling bored, disappointed or joyful.

Just a two-hour training session was enough for the students to be very likely to recognize that chickens can feel all three of these emotions.

"Chickens are much smarter than I thought before," one student wrote in the comments on the final questionnaire.

Image copyright Tony Heald/naturepl.com Image caption The male jungle hen (Gallus gallus) is the closest wild relative of the domestic chicken.

"We took two completely different social groups and found that they had the same initial attitudes and their same change," she explains.

Now she intends to study whether such an experience will affect the change in people's eating habits - for example, whether they will switch to chicken obtained through more ethical ways, in their opinion.

Researchers have found that chickens can count and perform basic arithmetic

Together with many other materials, O'Dwyer's research was included in a scientific review on perception in chickens, compiled by Laurie Marino from the Kimmel Animal Welfare Center in Kanab (USA, Utah) and published in January 2017.

"This document is part of a collaborative project called 'Someone' by the Animal Sanctuary Network and the Kimmela Center," says Marino.

According to Marino, the scientific evidence clearly confirms that chickens are not at all as clueless and stupid as many people believe.

Image copyright Ernie Janes/naturepl.com Image caption Chickens have amazing skills

An example is a series of studies published over the past decade by Rosa Rugani and her colleagues from the University of Padua (Italy).

Based on experiments with newly hatched chickens, the researchers found that chickens can count and even perform basic arithmetic.

From the moment of birth, five objects were next to the chickens - plastic containers from Kinder Surprise.

Perhaps chickens can also "mentally travel through time"

A few days later, the scientists took these containers and, in front of the chickens, placed three of them behind one screen and two behind the other.

The chickens approached the screen more often, behind which more objects were hidden.

After that, an experiment was conducted to test the ability of chickens to memorize, add and subtract.

Having hidden the objects behind two screens, the scientists began to transfer them from behind one screen to another in front of the chickens.

The chicks likely kept track of the number of items behind each screen and continued to approach the screen with more containers more often.

From a very young age, chicks show good math skills even with little training, says Rugani.

Image copyright Pete Cairns/naturepl.com Image caption This chicken doesn't have a "chicken" mind at all

She believes that not only chickens, but also higher animals in general, can have such abilities.

"Skills like these help animals in nature, for example, to get more food or find a larger group of animals to join," says the scientist.

Chickens are also to some extent able to "mentally travel through time", that is, to imagine what will happen in the future in order to eventually get more food.

Such conclusions are contained in a study dated 2005 by Shevon Abaysingh, then working at the University of Bristol (UK).

In Abaysingh's experiment, the hens could peck at one of the buttons to gain short-term access to food after a two-second delay, or the second, which opened the feeder for a longer time, but after six seconds.

With much greater frequency, the birds pecked at the second button, choosing more food after a longer wait.

In other words, they exhibited willpower, a quality that some biologists believe indicates some degree of self-awareness.

In addition, chickens have a complex system of social relations.

Image copyright Ernie Janes/naturepl.com Image caption The social life of chickens is very complex.

According to some research, birds can understand how their fellow birds see the world, and apply this knowledge to their advantage.

If a rooster finds a particularly tasty morsel in search of food, he will usually "dance" and make a distinctive call for food, trying to impress the surrounding hens.

Chickens quickly bite into roosters who use this trick too often.

However, if subordinate males behave in the same way, the dominant rooster may notice this and attack them.

Therefore, in the presence of a dominant cock, subordinate individuals usually “dance” silently in order to both impress the females and not attract the attention of the dominant male.

At the same time, some males try to attract females by deceit and make sounds characteristic of calling for food, even if they cannot boast of tasty finds.

Not surprisingly, hens are quick to bite into roosters who use this trick too often.

Some facts even indicate that chickens may experience rudimentary forms of empathy towards their fellows.

Image copyright Klein & Hubert/naturepl.com Image caption Chickens can be very social

In a series of experiments over the past six years, Joanna Edgar of the University of Bristol (UK) and her colleagues have studied the response of hens to blowing air over their chicks.

Prior to that, chickens were given the opportunity to see for themselves that this procedure causes slight discomfort.

When a stream of air was directed at the chickens, the heartbeat of the chickens increased and they called the chickens more often.

Hens respond to potential chick discomfort based on their own experience

However, if the air was blown into an empty place next to the chickens, without causing them discomfort, the chickens behaved as usual.

At the same time, the chickens were worried when the chickens were placed in a "dangerous" box, even if they were not actually blown with air and they were unaware of the threat.

Findings like these suggest that hens may be reacting to potential chick discomfort based on their own experience, rather than just signs of dissatisfaction in the young.

Image copyright Ernie Janes/naturepl.com Image caption Chickens are bred in many countries

According to Edgar, the experiments are not yet complete. "We have not yet determined whether the behavioral and physiological responses of hens to their chicks' mild discomfort are indicative of an emotional response, or whether they are simply akin to arousal or interest," she says.

If it turns out that chickens are able to sympathize with their fellows in need, then this will raise a number of serious questions regarding the methods that are used during the breeding of chickens on industrial farms.

“On farms, all animals often see, hear and smell other animals when they are in pain and stress,” says Edgar. “It is important to understand whether such situations have a negative impact on their well-being.”

Marino also believes that the time has come to discuss this topic.

"The perception of chickens as clueless and stupid animals is partly due to the reluctance to recognize their intelligence and sensitivity, because people eat them," she says.

The inconvenient truth is that chickens understand a lot more than people think.

But will consumers who learn about this agree to change their route through the meat department of the store?

No one is surprised that some animals are smarter than others. In particular, among the birds there are very smart creatures that show intellectual abilities that, as previously thought, were characteristic only of humans. For example, magpies recognize their reflection in a mirror, and New Caledonian ravens create tools, and young birds adopt these skills from their parents. African parrots can count objects and classify them by color and shape, and can even be taught to understand human speech. A gray crested cockatoo named Snowball dances with pleasure to rhythmic music. However, hardly anyone would consider an ordinary domestic chicken to be a smart bird.

However, in recent years, scientists have found that chickens are cunning creatures that can only pretend to be stupid, and that in the field of communication they have abilities at the level of some primates, using a complex system of signals to convey their intentions. In the decision-making process, chickens rely on both their own experience and their knowledge of the environment. They are able to solve rather complex problems and even empathize with relatives who are in danger. A new understanding of cognition in chickens suggests that some complex intelligence traditionally attributed only to primates may be much more common in the animal kingdom than previously thought.

The research being discussed also raises the question of how ethical our treatment of domestic chickens raised in poultry farms is. Indeed, the realization that chickens have highly developed cognitive skills makes one wonder how morally justified it is to keep them on farms in conditions aimed solely at making chicken meat and eggs as cheap as possible.

chatty birds

It took nearly 100 years of research to find out exactly what goes on in the chicken brain. The first shifts were outlined in the 1920s. of the last century, when the Norwegian biologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe identified the existence of a hierarchical social system in these birds, which he called the “pecking order”. He made such a conclusion after he discovered that chickens defend their leading position in the hierarchy, distributing blows with their beaks to those relatives who, being lower in rank, dare to act (or even just intentions) that are not due to their status.

The next major breakthrough in understanding chicken intelligence came a few decades later. The late Nicholas and Elsie Collias, who worked together at the University of California, Los Angeles, classified the sounds made by birds and determined that there were about 24 different calls in the chicken "repertoire", many of which are apparently used only under certain conditions. For example, when faced with a threat from above, say, an eagle flying out to hunt, the birds fall to the ground and emit a quiet, excited "ee-ee-ee." And the clucking that most people associate with chickens is actually a warning of a land-based predator. If the rooster finds food, then he usually makes a series of persistent calls, transmitted as "dock-dock", especially if there is an opportunity to interest the female whose attention he sought.

These discoveries made it possible to reflect on the fact that much more complex processes may be taking place in the chicken brain than it seems at first glance - even if this brain is no larger than a hazelnut. After all, it is quite natural to assume that a certain set of sounds allows chickens to transmit messages to each other, designed for a very specific reaction. However, it was not easy to confirm such conjectures. Only in the 1990s. the development of technology has given scientists the opportunity to test various hypotheses in detail and reveal the true purpose of calls in birds. It was then that the late Chris Evans of Macquarie University in Sydney. Australia and other researchers have begun using digital audio recorders and high-resolution television screens to conduct controlled experiments aimed at discovering the meaning of certain sounds in the highly signal-rich chicken "speech". The essence of the work was that with the help of television screens placed around the cages, a whole “virtual reality” was created for the birds, in which it was possible to make the chicken “contact” with a variety of creatures - a companion, competitor, predator - and record the response of the experimental bird in a given situation. The test hens were shown either a hawk flying over them, or a fox running towards them, and at another time, a rooster relative, publishing its “doc-doc”.

Experiments in virtual reality revealed a completely unexpected fact: both verbal and non-verbal signals (body movements) produced by chickens convey meaningful information that is understandable to all other individuals of the species. For example, to evoke a defensive reaction in a chicken, it does not have to show a real predator at all - it is enough to let another bird listen to the warning signal. Animal behaviorists can rightfully call chicken "speech" functionally oriented. This should be understood in such a way that their sound signals denote specific objects or events, and this is generally reminiscent of the use of words in human speech. As soon as a chicken hears a certain sound, an image of a certain object arises in its brain, prompting the bird to the corresponding behavior - for example, to escape from a predator or go to the feeder.

In addition, in experiments in “virtual reality”, the researchers found that the signals sent by the bird depend on how it relates to the individuals around it. For example, a rooster that has noticed a threat will raise the alarm only if a female is nearby, while in the presence of a male competitor, he will prefer to remain silent. However, the behavior of females is as selective as the behavior of males - they sound the alarm only if they have a brood of chicks.

Summarizing these facts, it can be argued that the sounds made by chickens reflect something more than just their internal state at the level of "I'm hungry" or "I'm scared." In addition, they delve into the meaning of ongoing events and react to them impurely reflexively, with the help of well-thought-out actions. Therefore, chickens think before they do something - and this feature brings them closer not so much to other birds, but to mammals, whose brains are much larger.

Not by washing, so by skating?

The presence of a system of meaningful signals in domestic chickens suggests that their thinking is a much more complex and developed process than previously thought. This raises another very intriguing question: since these birds have the ability to share information about events and phenomena taking place around them, can they “hold” useful information for themselves or even disseminate it in a distorted form in order to gain benefits? Scientists got the answer to this question by studying other types of signals given by chickens.

Ever since the 40s. 20th century researchers were well aware of the elaborate dances that chickens perform when food is found. The most spectacular of these is called "tidbitting": it consists of a series of movements with which the rooster (alpha male) tries to show the female that he has found something tasty for her. At the same time, he quickly jerks his head up and down and from side to side, periodically raising and tossing the found delicacy. This performance is the main way to attract a female to a rooster. Scientists believed that other males should not show the same behavior in order to avoid aggression from the alpha male. However, observations of chickens in their social environment have shown a hierarchy based on "pecking order". - the thing is not as unambiguous as it seemed after the first experiments. Indeed, the results of more recent studies suggest that these birds can be surprisingly insidious beasts.

The true underpinnings of the relationships that unfold between individual chickens within a flock were initially misunderstood by observers. After all, chickens are constantly striving to find refuge from prying eyes in tall grass or in thickets of shrubs. In addition, it is simply impossible for one person to keep track of all the birds at the same time. To minimize the difficulty, one of the authors of this article (Carolynn Smith) came up with an exploratory scheme that she called in the Orwellian tradition "Big Brother in the chicken coop" (Chicken Big Brother).

On the grounds of Macquarie University, Smith and her colleagues set up open aviaries — vast natural areas bounded on all sides by nets, with lots of vegetation, many microphones and high-definition surveillance cameras to monitor literally every movement and sound made by birds. The researchers then carefully analyzed the resulting recordings.

As expected, in each group, the alpha male constantly crowed to remind everyone of his rights to the occupied territory. He, of course, also arranged an incendiary dance “tidbit” for his females and warned the entire group when they were in danger from above.

But the real surprise was presented just by the roosters, who occupied a much more modest position in the hierarchy. It seemed obvious to the researchers that they would be as careful as possible to avoid conflict with the alpha male, who would chase them, peck or spur them for trying to “show off” in front of his harem. However, thanks to cameras and microphones, a much more complex picture appeared before scientists. "Secondary" males have chosen a different, covert tactic, previously considered impossible for birds. They performed only the motor part of the dance, without making a sound, which allowed them to silently attract females, without giving the alpha male a reason for aggressive attacks.

The researchers were simply amazed at the amazing plasticity of the behavior of low-ranking males, who changed the ritual of the dance in such a way as to secretly seduce females. But that was only the beginning!

Scientists had a chance to feel the full depth of chicken cunning only when they were able to complicate the recording equipment for a more accurate study of the behavior of birds. The fact is that chicken voices were often so subtle that Smith and her colleagues were not able to hear them properly even at maximum resolution. They needed a tool that would actually allow them to record any sound made by one chicken and heard by another.

Ideally, chickens would be equipped with small "backpacks" with lightweight wireless microphones inside - such as journalists carry with them when working in the field. But where to find material suitable for such purposes? And then it occurred to Smith to use ... bras! She began to look for old bras with simple fasteners and preferably black, so that they did not stand out too much against the dark plumage. Smith cut off the hooks and adjustable straps and made something like a harness from them, to which she attached the microphones. Such home-made devices, called Chicken Big Brother 2.0, were securely fixed on the chicken’s chest and now recorded literally everything that the bird itself hears or says.

Scientists were especially interested in the reaction of chickens to danger. Previous observations have shown that the male, when attacked by an aerial predator such as a hawk, will often "bring fire upon himself" by screeching loudly about danger and thereby exposing himself to the obvious risk of being seen and captured. The researchers explained this by that it is vitally important for a male to protect his female and offspring. But Carolynn Smith was wondering if there were any other circumstances influencing this type of behavior.

Research has shown that there are such factors. With the help of his invention, which allows you to parse the finest nuances of chicken signals. Smith was able to prove that. trumpeting about danger, males are often guided solely by selfish motives. When a threat approached, males compared their chances of avoiding danger with those of their rivals and raised the alarm more often if they thought they were safer than their competitors. In general, males call for danger more often if they are hiding in the bushes, and their rival is walking around in the open in full view of a hungry predator. With a successful combination of circumstances, a cunning rooster can kill two birds with one stone with one shot - and protect its female, and get rid of the enemy!

This strategy is known in behavioral science as "risk compensation" and is another trait common to both chickens and humans. It has been proven that many of us take on more if there are any "extenuating" circumstances. Just as a person presses harder on the gas if he is wearing a seat belt or a car is equipped with anti-lock brakes, so a rooster is more likely to risk his life when he feels sufficiently protected.

caring mothers

The list of chicken cognitive abilities grows with each new discovery. Giorgio Vallortigara from the University of Trento. Italy, proved that young chickens can distinguish numbers and even use the principles of geometry. So the birds, which were shown a triangle drawn only halfway, were able to recognize its true shape. A study published in 2011 by Joanne Edgar and colleagues at the University of Bristol. England, demonstrated that in addition to their downright Machiavellian cunning, chickens show the ability to sincerely empathize with others.

In the experiment mentioned, mother hens were made to watch their chicks receive harmless and painless blows with a jet of air that only ruffled their fluffy plumage. However, the chicks themselves perceived the tremors as a real threat and showed the classic signs of stress, such as an increased heart rate and a drop in temperature. Surprisingly, their mothers also began to worry and cackle more animatedly, seeing the reaction of their chicks. They showed the same signs of stress as their chicks, although they themselves did not feel the air shocks and clearly saw that there was no immediate threat to the chicks. All these results demonstrate the ability of common chickens to put themselves in the place of their relatives, which is a very specific behavioral trait that was previously attributed to only a limited number of species, such as crows, squirrels and, of course, humans. The fact that a simple domestic chicken, which is not closely related to those groups of birds whose high intelligence is common knowledge, has an equally outstanding intelligence, makes us think about the mystery of the origin of the mind in general. Perhaps "reasonableness" is inherent in the animal world to a much greater extent than previously thought, and appears wherever it is favored by the social way of life, and does not at all constitute an exception, difficult for biological evolution. In all likelihood, chickens inherited a powerful cognitive gift from their wild ancestor, the Banking chicken, which lives in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. In those places, the ancestors of chickens formed long-term, relatively stable groups, numbering from four to 13 individuals of different ages. The dominant male and female who lead each group, like most animals, got their best, be it food, space to live, or sexual partners, at the expense of more or less suppression of the rest of the pack. Males spent the bulk of their time attracting females and providing them with food; females, on the other hand, carefully observed males, evaluating their actions and remembering their actions in order to avoid those who acted vilely or unkindly in the future. The "reputation" of each individual cock was of great importance for his successful and long-term communication with females, since the competition for them was fierce.

However, competition within the flock is not the only factor pushing the bird's mind to develop. The presence of threats from outside (including terrestrial and flying predators such as foxes and hawks) led to a variety of escape strategies that varied depending on the behavior of the predator. This forced the birds to develop more highly intelligent ways of interacting with each other and responding to dangers from outside, as well as to look for ways to "discuss" emerging situations. All of the traits listed above are still present in domesticated chickens.

It's not easy to come to terms with that. that all this long list of intellectual abilities refers to birds, which mankind has used for millions of years as an unfailing source of food. Involuntarily, the question arises about the conditions of their maintenance and cultivation. Birds that live in small groups in the wild can be kept on farms at an incredible density of 50,000 birds per house. The life expectancy of ten years for chickens in nature is reduced here to six weeks if they are raised for meat. They are slaughtered young because of the threat of heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fractures, which are the inevitable consequences of super-fast growth in breeds specially selected for poultry meat. Laying hens were “lucky” a little more - after all, they have a life of a year and a half, albeit in a cage with an area of ​​\u200b\u200ba sheet of A4 format.

The flexibility and adaptability of domestic chickens, inherited from their flocking wild ancestor, the Banking chicken, seems to have played a cruel joke, allowing the new species to survive in the completely abnormal, stressful conditions in which people raise them. And it is unlikely that anything will change until most of us think about it. where our food comes from, and how intelligent creatures it costs their lives.

However, gradually begin to see clearly even the townsfolk. In Europe and some North American states, such as California, new laws are being passed to require better conditions for laying hens. The process was initiated by the buyers themselves, concerned about improving the health of animals, as well as improving the quality of food. Australian growers are now emphasizing improving the conditions for raising chickens on their farms as part of their competition for an ever-growing segment of "caring" consumers. However, much remains to be done. The conditions under which chickens are raised for meat are still poorly known to the general public.

Scientists are just beginning to comprehend the true essence of the type of intelligence that is peculiar to chickens, but one fact is no longer in doubt: common sayings hinting at the complete lack of intelligence in chickens: chicken brains, "stupid as a chicken" and the like - should henceforth be considered an anachronism .

If you want to start raising chickens, you can find a lot of useful information on this site.

Are chickens that stupid?

The chickens look a bit strange, though cute. There are about 19 billion chickens in the world, making them one of the most common bird species on the planet. Many people perceive domestic chickens as pets, despite the fact that they are typical members of the chicken class - along with pheasants, partridges and turkeys. They are treated like a stupid little homemade egg and feather factory. But perhaps after reading our article, you will change your mind.

Arithmetic skills

It turned out that even small groups of chickens are able to interact with each other quite intelligently and sometimes using aggression.

Scientists conducted a study in which they invited a group of students to observe a two-hour training of chickens. The birds were forced to alternately experience 3 emotions: boredom, grief and joy.

The students were initially convinced that watching chickens was a rather boring activity. However, in the end, they changed their minds and admired how quickly these birds are able to learn.

Earlier, another study was published showing that chickens have a good memory, they can add and subtract. The author of the experiment, Rosa Rugani, suggested feeding the chickens daily near the plate, which shows 5 dots. For some time, the researchers taught the birds to do this, and then placed 2 more plates next to each other: one had 2 dots, and the other had 8. The chickens remembered that the food was behind the one with 5 dots, and understood that 2 was less than 5, so such a plate is located on the left, and with eight - on the right. Scientists believe that this proves the presence of arithmetic skills in chickens.

Intelligent communication

The researchers also found that the birds don't just cackle, they have a conversation. For example, if a rooster finds food, he makes special sounds to call the hens, and these sounds differ depending on the type of food. In the event that a competitor (another rooster) is nearby, he will peck all the food on his own. However, there are also cases when birds deceive each other. For example, roosters sometimes call hens, using the same calls they make when food is found, to a place where there is no food. Apparently, this is their own peculiar way of "framing". There is a certain communication in the corral: the birds communicate with each other and can change the subject, depending on who the conversation is with.

self-control

Another experience with chickens showed that these birds are capable of planning and self-control. They were offered food in two different bowls: in the first case, the grain was poured with an interval of 2 seconds, but in small portions, and in the second, with an interval of 6 seconds, but in large quantities. Birds preferred to wait to get more food.

Birds can show empathy

It has been noted that chickens are empathetic. This is especially evident in the case of maternal instinct. If the birds see how small chickens are placed in an incubator where there is a lack of air, older chickens begin to call children loudly and often, their heart beats faster at this moment. They worry even if the chicken does not feel discomfort and feels good.

The next time you feel like calling someone a stupid chicken, consider that maybe these birds don't deserve to be called that. It is very important that such studies are carried out and prove the presence of intelligence in chickens. Maybe this will help those who breed these birds to look at them in a new way and stop perceiving them as a factory for the production of eggs.

A variety of birds live near us. We love them for their individuality, temperament, bright colors and plumage play, effervescent singing and, last but not least, for their wit, sense of humor, and sometimes an extraordinary mind. Which birds are considered the most intelligent, and why these species, you will learn from this article.

There are two main approaches to answering the question of whether a bird can be considered smart. The first, more primitive assessment determines how close the bird is able to imitate human behavior and adapt to living together - whether it can solve problems, open a cage or a bag of food, talk, and so on.

The second, more scientific approach, looks at the situation from a different angle, according to which it assesses how well the bird is able to adapt to its environment. Both directions have their advantages and disadvantages, but given that birds cannot take IQ tests, both approaches can give a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe intelligence of a bird.

The most intelligent birds ‒ Crows

Man has long known that the raven and other birds of the raven family are very intelligent birds, and studies have shown that they are probably the most intelligent birds.

Ravens (Corvus corax) are found in European folklore and Native American traditions dating back to ancient times and are large birds with glossy black feathers, heavy beaks and broad, sweeping wings.

They have wedge-shaped tails, which they masterfully use for control during flight and acrobatic stunts. While on the ground, crows stagger slightly or bounce on both legs at the same time.

Why are they considered the smartest birds? The basis for this is painstaking scientific research. One of the most famous researchers on the intelligence of ravens was Bernd Heinrich, who published his findings in The Mind of Ravens. He spent decades surrounded by wild crows, studying their behavior.

The main startling conclusion of the scientist was that crows can think about the consequences of their actions and make decisions based on them. They have problem solving and learning skills. It is definitely one of the smartest birds on the planet, if not the smartest.

The most intelligent birds - African Gray parrots

The African Gray Parrot (Psittcus erithacus) is an old friend of every bird lover. It was this species that became famous as a quick-witted companion of John Silver in the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

African gray parrots are famous for their ability to speak meaningfully, and not just to imitate sounds. This is indeed a hallmark of a very intelligent bird.

Studies have shown that they can memorize a vocabulary of 500 words and use them to express their thoughts and desires, just like humans do. In fact, these smart birds have the same level of understanding of speech as a three-year-old child.

This speech ability most likely comes from the fact that parrots in the wild use a wide range of sounds to communicate with other parrots. They can "talk" about everything - from courting and raising chicks, to nutrition and finding shelter, birds even know how to mourn their dead compatriots.

The African gray parrot, along with other bird species presented in this article, can deservedly be considered one of the most intelligent birds.

The most intelligent birds - Starlings

Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are incredibly social birds, and their outgoing nature probably helps develop their intelligence, which is why starlings are considered highly intelligent birds.

A common species found in Europe, North Africa and Asia, and once in North America, he immediately felt at home. Starlings are stunningly beautiful, their plumage is not just black - feathers shimmer in the light, shining with different shades of blue, green and purple.

One of the most obvious signs of starling intelligence is their famous group movements. It is an amazing sight when thousands of birds merge together in a breathtaking demonstration of amazing coordination of movements, recreating rapidly changing forms, filling the entire sky.

Sky performance of starlings - an unforgettable sight

Exactly how starlings carry out their performance or why they do it is not thoroughly understood, but the organization and impressive attentiveness, the incomprehensible composure of all members of a huge group of birds, none of which collides with another, is simply phenomenal.

Starlings are amazingly intelligent birds that are still not well understood.

The most intelligent birds - Weavers

There are many types of weavers, they come mainly from the tropical forests of Africa, located south of the Sahara. Some of them live in South Asia and Madagascar.

Clever little birds are the unsurpassed architects of the bird world and get their sonorous name from the impressive nests that males create for their mate during the breeding season.

These birds are similar in size to sparrows, with some species having thick, heavy beaks to peel off the tough seed coat, while others have longer, sharper beaks to catch insects. Males are dressed in bright colors, while females remain inconspicuous.

Weavers are very smart birds, because they not only weave their beautiful nests, they are able to teach this art and can be trained. They are not born with an innate ability to create elaborate houses, they are forced to work hard, study and develop skills all their lives.

Some of the species build communal nesting areas with hundreds of nests, which require collaborative work much like urban planning. After that, how can one not call the weaver the smartest bird?

The smartest birds - Chickens

The chicken is perhaps the last bird that comes to mind when you think about choosing the smartest feathered representative. But this is completely unfair! Domestic chickens evolved from the Red Jungle Hen about 5,000 years ago and are highly inquisitive, social birds and well adapted to living in nature and around humans.

They recognize people, remember places they have been, and a range of events, both good and bad. The linguistic system of chickens is extensive, and includes about thirty different "words".

silk hens

Chickens are beautifully designed by nature, they can fly short distances if necessary, although they usually soar vertically into the air when threatened. The shape of the beak is versatile - they can consume a variety of food, which gives a better chance of survival, while strong legs are great for raking the ground and finding food spotted by a sharp chicken eye.

The hen is a caring mother hen and carefully trains the chicks to understand the different shades of her call, peck at the grains and hide in case of danger. The chicken is definitely one of the smartest birds. And certainly, the closest and most valuable species of birds for humans.

The most intelligent birds - Hummingbird

Of all the 9,600 bird species, the hummingbird has probably the most difficult way to fly. They have mastered its unique form, which combines high speed and spinning movements, making the miniature bird soar in the air like a helicopter.

Unlike ordinary birds, in hummingbirds, the shoulders and elbow joints are located close to each other, and the bones of the hand are expanded. This means that they can rotate their wings around the flower like bumblebees and also fly long distances.

Some of the species travel up to three thousand miles during their migration. At the same time, the birds are not just small, they are the smallest in the world - the bee hummingbird from Cuba reaches only 5.7 cm in length and 2 g in weight.

Everything in these little creatures is adapted to the consumption of the main food - the nectar of flowers. Special wings allow them to soar and collect nectar with the help of a long beak and tongue.

This is probably one of the most intelligent birds in terms of the birds themselves, combining miniature size and remarkable adaptability to habitat conditions.

Gray African parrot - smart and charming

Dear readers, if the article seemed useful to you, share it with your friends by clicking on one of the social network buttons below. Add your story to the site by sending a photo of pets and a story in any form to our email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view. and your story will be placed in the Our stories section.

Poultry farmers are confused. The scientists came to an unexpected conclusion. It turns out that the chicken is not stupid at all, quite the contrary. She has enough intelligence to not only understand what is happening around, but also to feel and empathize. The author of the publication on the BBC website wonders if the new discovery will lead to the fact that there will be a movement in defense of the rights of chickens in the world?

Do we need smart chickens?

Humanity has been tormented by several moral dilemmas in recent decades. Among them is a method of obtaining meat on an industrial scale. After the laws protecting endangered species of plants and animals came out, they started talking about the fact that our four-legged pets also have rights. Then it was the turn of the cattle. Defenders of the "smaller brothers" noticed how much cows suffer when they are taken to the slaughterhouse, and also that pigs are no more stupid than domestic dogs, and it is cruel to cut them for meat.

From this point of view, the chicken looked like the perfect meat factory. Firstly, the product is dietary, and the body grows quickly and does not require special maintenance costs. Secondly, a chicken is a stupid bird, supposedly it still does not understand anything about its life. Thirdly, everyone eats chickens: both Muslims and Jews who do not eat pork, and Hindus who refuse beef.

Here is the result. In today's world, the "population" of chickens in poultry farms and households around the world is 19 billion! According to experts, this is the most common bird species on Earth. At a minimum, chickens are most common among poultry. What would happen if tomorrow there was an idea to protect chickens from human violence?

It would be naive to believe that the poultry farms will immediately be closed. On the one hand, this would cause an acute shortage of meat. On the other hand, the chickens themselves, if we could ask them such a question, would hardly have spoken out against their breeding. After all, such a huge population of chickens arose only because humanity wants to eat chicken meat and eggs.

However, the recognition of a chicken as a smart bird may well lead to a change in the technologies for growing and killing them. While it is believed that the chicken is stupid, he does not hide at all what fate awaits her at the end of her life. Not only in households, but also on poultry farms, slaughter is carried out practically in front of the rest of the hens, who will have to wait for their turn for several more weeks or months. To change the situation, poultry farmers would have to invest additional capital in new farm areas and improved technology. This, of course, will lead to a rise in the price of chicken, which is now considered one of the cheapest types of meat.

How was the intelligence level of chickens determined?

Scientists have proven that chickens can count, not only communicate with each other, but also cunning and manipulating. And besides, they have a fairly complex social organization. According to researchers, the level of development of chickens is much higher than many herd animals or animals. The definition of "stupid bird" is definitely not suitable for them.

Lisel O "Dwyer and Susan Hazel in 2015 at the University of Adelaide (Australia) conducted a study of the psychology of the behavior of chickens and tried to teach them unusual skills. Similar experiments were carried out in the USA in January 2017. Oddly enough, the conclusions of the American O" Dwyer are practically completely coincided with the results shared by his Australian colleagues two years ago.

For example, two heaps of food were hidden behind a screen from chickens - one larger than the other. The birds quickly found a large pile and called for their girlfriends. The same thing happened when the piles were moved from place to place, trying to confuse the chickens. They solved a simple problem in a matter of seconds.

The behavior of roosters in chicken "harems" is also known. Being the real owner, the male is not only the first to find food, but also calls the chickens to the place where you can eat. It is interesting that if he has a competitor in this matter, then he immediately comes to a conflict and a fierce fight. It turns out that this species is also power-hungry.

Finally, the scientists tried manipulating the number of chicks in the brood and found that the mother hen definitely knows how many children she has. That is, chickens also know how to count ...

Other studies dealt with the subjective perception of chickens by humans. Focus group members who had never worked in poultry farming before were asked to work on poultry farms for several weeks. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, they filled out questionnaires in which they tried to assess the level of intelligence of chickens.

The result of this study was also unexpected. Almost one hundred percent of the participants, after observing the birds for a relatively short time, dramatically changed their opinions about them. Chickens look stupid only in the minds of those who see them exclusively on the shelves of supermarkets already butchered, the researchers note.

But most of all, I was surprised by how quickly the chickens learn quite complex things. It is very difficult to find similar abilities among representatives of other species, scientists say. After observing how these balls of yellow fluff behave, you will forever refuse to offend the chicken with low marks.