These Genius Birds

For centuries, people have diminished the talents of their feathered brethren, considering them «brainless», driven only by instincts and capable of only the simplest mental processes. Today, science has shown: this is not true. Birds make complex navigation decisions, sing in regional dialects, and use tools. They deceive and manipulate. They eavesdrop. They kiss to comfort each other. They give gifts. They teach and learn. They gather around the body of a deceased companion. And they even mourn… And they do all this with a tiny brain the size of a walnut! In the book «These Genius Birds», the author explores the newly discovered talents of birds. Traveling through scientific laboratories around the world, she tells us about the intellectual behaviors of birds that we can observe in our own backyards, at bird feeders, in parks, on city streets, and in the wild – we just need to pay closer attention. Jennifer Ackerman reveals what avian intelligence can tell us about our own intelligence, as well as about our changing world. Celebrating such amazing and extraordinarily smart creatures, this extremely informative and well-written book offers a new perspective on our feathered neighbors on the planet.