Bird Brain An Exploration of Avian Intelligence [Hardcover]

Birds have not been known for their high IQs, which is why a person of questionable intelligence is sometimes called a birdbrain. Yet in the past two decades, the study of avian intelligence has witnessed dramatic advances. From a time when birds were seen as simple instinct machines responding only to stimuli in their external worlds, we now know that some birds have complex internal worlds as well. This beautifully illustrated book provides an engaging exploration of the avian mind, revealing how science is exploding one of the most widespread myths about our feathered friendsand changing the way we think about intelligence in other animals as well.

Bird Brainlooks at the structures and functions of the avian brain, and describes the extraordinary behaviors that different types of avian intelligence give rise to. It offers insights into crows, jays, magpies, and other corvidsthe masterminds of the avian worldas well as parrots and some less-studied species from around the world. This lively and accessible book shows how birds have sophisticated brains with abilities previously thought to be uniquely human, such as mental time travel, self-recognition, empathy, problem solving, imagination, and insight.

Written by a leading expert and featuring a foreword by Frans de Waal, renowned for his work on animal intelligence,Bird Brainshines critical new light on the mental lives of birds.

"One of Forbes.coms 12 Best Books About Birds and Birding in 2016"Nathan Emeryis senior lecturer in cognitive biology at Queen Mary University of London. His research interests focus on what corvids, apes, and parrots understand about their social and physical worlds, especially others' mental states, insight, and imagination, as well as the psychology and evolution of innovation and creativity. He is currently working with the ravens at the Tower of London. He is the coeditor ofSocial Intelligence: From Brain to Culture