Bird-brained....?

aged hippy · #1 (**permalink**) 17th August 2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Working with captured wild crows, Russell Gray and his team from the University of Auckland in New Zealand hid a treat in a box so that a crow could only extract it with the help of a long stick. This kind of task is easy for the tool-using crows.

But then the researchers added a twist by placing the long stick in a cage, out of the crows' reach. No problem: the birds used a second, shorter stick, to get the first one, then took it back to the box to get the food.

“Six out of seven crows tried straight away to use the short stick to get to the long tool. There was no trial and error,” says Gray.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...ike-skill.html

.... and we think we're the bee's knees.

Peace, Love, & Light

vivamis123 · #2 (**permalink**) 17th August 2007, 02:30 PM

Wow that is amazing. I have a little "bird story" to share too. We have a screened porch area and a doggy door. Last week while I steped out onto the patio I saw from the corner of my eye a hawk jumping through the doggy door out. He came in through the doggy door and went out through the doggy door!

Eolas Pellor · #3 (**permalink**) 17th August 2007, 10:59 PM

Logic and reason are not the exclusive property of humans.

One of the reasons that humans score higher on tests of reason than other animals is that we are the ones designing the tests... I wonder if we would do as well on a test designed by a crow??

"Be seeing you..."

wwwdlhow27 · #4 (**permalink**) 18th August 2007, 02:46 AM

Very well put Eolas Pellor. The animal kingdom thanks you, we just don't know it yet!

**angeleyes** · #5 (**permalink**) 18th August 2007, 03:10 AM

The bee's knees!!!! I absolutely love it..........

Aged hippy, you are a delight! Thanks for the smile.

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