Amazing Intelligence in Animals—Pigeons

“I don’t mind being a symbol but I don’t want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I’ve seen what pigeons do to them.”  —Tommy Douglas

A few years ago, someone abandoned a pair—one male and one female—Mourning Doves in our neighborhood, and they found their way to my bird feeders. Without even a glance back, they set up shop near my feeders and, today, I have counted an estimate (they move around so much so that I can’t get an accurate count) three dozen Mourning Doves that visit my feeders and their nesting places have spread out to cover most of the area in our small, urban town!

My doves are bluish-grey in color and have a distinct black ring around their neck. Research says that there is a difference between a dove and a pigeon, but they share more in common than differences, and in the case of their intelligence, there is no difference.

Doves and pigeons have been raised as pets by humans for thousands of years and were widely used as subjects of sacrifice to appease the gods and were even employed as message carriers before government postal services replaced them. They are also considered a delicacy in the food isle. If you’re any kind of food connoisseur, you’ve eaten pigeon meat! And who hasn’t gone for a walk in the community park without a bag of popcorn to feed the pigeons?

On the other hand, they are also famous for ‘disgracing’ statues and other public monuments by pooping all over them and are referred to by many as “flying poop machines!” Some folk who really hate pigeons have even gone so far as to accuse them of being dirty and spreading disease. However, this has proven to be untrue. No evidence has been found where pigeons have been responsible for spreading disease, no worse than in any other clean, animal species, but, on the other hand, pigeons have been listed among the top ten species as having super intelligence!

“Pigeons are among the most maligned urban wildlife despite the fact that human beings brought them to our shores and turned them loose in our cities – not something that they chose.”  —Ingrid Newkirk

According to Dr. Becker, in her Healthy Pets, states, “In a classic test of basic intelligence known as the “string task,” pigeons selected the correct string (the one attached to food treats) up to 90 percent of the time. Even more remarkable? The pigeons aced the test “virtually” using a computer touch screen.” In other studies, pigeons have shown remarkable skills in being able to learn abstract mathematical rules. In fact, according to Dr. Becker, “[pigeons] are the only non-humans other than rhesus monkeys with [that] ability.”

In other studies, as reported in Science Daily, “Pigeons can remember large numbers of individual images for a long time, e.g. hundreds of images for periods of several years.” And “Pigeons can be taught relatively complex actions and response sequences and can learn to make responses in different sequences.”

And, who hasn’t heard of the Homing Pigeon with their unique ability to learn routes back to their home from long distances? This homing behavior is different from migratory birds that recall fixed routes at fixed times of the year, although there is some belief that the same mechanisms may be involved. So, salute the pigeon, and the next time you take a walk through your community’s park, armed with a bag of popcorn to feed the pigeons, think of them as being more than just “flying poop machines!”

“My father fought in World War 1 and single-handedly destroyed the German’s line of communication. He ate their pigeon!” —Frank Carson

Amazing intelligence in Animals—Swans

I think everyone is familiar with how two swans, facing each other, head touching head, and with their long, curved necks, form a perfect heart shape. From that point of view, one could consider them as the symbol for love birds and are often associated with beauty.

Swans are closely related to geese and ducks. Swans are the largest members of the waterfowl family, Anatidae, and are among the largest flying birds and are generally found in a temperate climate area. A female swan is called a pen, and a male swan is referred to as a cob, and a group of swans is called a herd. Although they may, at times, eat small aquatic animals, they are almost entirely herbivorous.

Much like most human couples, a male and his female partner can form a strong bond that lasts for their lifespan, and the bond can form as early as 20 months of age, and the pair can live together for over 10 years! There are cases of “divorced” swans, but this is rare.

“There’s no need to curse God if you’re an ugly duckling. He chooses those strong enough to endure it so that they can guide others who’ve felt the same.”  —Criss Jami

Stories about swans appear in fairy and folk tales, mythology and legends, the best known fairytale is the Danish Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Ugly Duckling,” in which a baby swan, hatched into a family of ducks—a misfit, but yet grows up to become a beautiful white swan.

In Greek mythology, the story of “Leda and the Swan,” tells of how Helen of Troy was conceived by a union between Zeus, disguised as a swan, and Leda, queen of Sparta. To have used swans in this mythological tale shows the high regard ancient Greeks had for swans.

In Hindu religion, a swan is compared to a saintly person who lives in the world without getting attached to it, just like a swan’s feathers, although in the water, don’t get wet, and the swan is mentioned several times in Vedic writings where the swan is compared to a person who has developed great spiritual capabilities and is referred to a Paramahams—a Supreme Swan.

On the other hand, swans are not as peaceful as often depicted. Swans can be very aggressive, and especially a mated pairs can become a real “fighting machine,” as many humans can attest to who have crossed the path of a swan! Swans do not make good pets. They are friendly up until maturity—about 3 years, then they can, as already mentioned, become quite aggressive and mean.

“Every lake belongs to the quietness desired by the swans.”  —Munia Khan

Amazing Intelligence in Animals—Magpies and a Falcon

The art of self-defence is not an invention of man. Self-preservation and of the species is inherent in all living creatures.

I recently wrote about an incident that I experienced between  two Magpies and how they were ‘torturing’ one of our house cats. Here’s another one involving Magpies, but this time it wasn’t a house cat, but a Falcon. I never cease to be amazed at the creative intelligence of Magpies. When God was handing out ‘smarts,’ Magpies obviously were at the front of the line!

During the summer months, I have two bird feeders, a bird bath and a suet dispenser for my “community of birds” that visit my back yard quite regularly. Because of these “feeder attractions,” my back yard is usually alive with the busy chatter of a variety of birds, ranging anywhere from the tiny Hummingbird to the majestic Black Crow, and it’s a real joy to sit there, relaxing on my patio, and listen to this “neighborhood chatter.” However, this particular morning when I went out, all was silent, and this silence immediately attracted my attention.

Not only was there silence  but I couldn’t see any of my usual “customers” at the bird feeders. I stood motionless and just observed. What could be the cause of this silence?

Then I saw it. A Falcon had quietly perched itself in an open  area on our fence. It sat still,  only its head slowly turning as its eyes searched for a hidden bird that it could swoop down on and take away for its next meal.

On another section of the fence, a respectable distance from the Falcon, perched a lone Magpie, also very quiet and not moving even a feather. Although I couldn’t hear it with my human ears, I could sense that the Magpie was sending out an alarm to its fellow Magpies that a dangerous intruder was present!

I don’t think I waited five minutes before a swarm of at least a dozen Magpies seemed to appear as if out of nowhere and started a planned, patterned “dive-bombing” of that Falcon. At first, the Falcon stood its ground. In fact, it even made a few feeble tempts to strike out and catch a swooping Magpie, but these Magpie were too practiced—too skilled at their offensive maneuvers and the Falcon’s feeble attempt to snag a Magpie failed every time. These Magpies knew exactly what they were doing: they were professionals! And the battle soon became one-sided  with the Falcon departing in a humiliated flutter of frustration!

With the Falcon gone, it didn’t take long for my back yard to again return to its bustling, noisy, chattering and chirping self!

Their strategy worked. The Magpies proved again that there is power in numbers!

You cannot expect victory and plan for defeat.”  —Joel Osteen

Amazing Intelligence in Animals—Magpies and our Cat

 

“The fox, when it sees a flock of heron or magpies or birds of any kind, suddenly flings itself on the ground with his mouth open to look as he were dead; and these birds want to peck at his tongue, and he bites off their heads.”  —Leonardo da Vinci

I don’t always have to Google the world to find good stories about animals. Sometimes the most astounding, cutest, funniest antics of animals can take place right in front of me, right in my own back yard!

This day I was lounging in one of our deck chairs on our patio when my attention was suddenly attracted to a corner of our yard near the shed, where two Magpies were making quite a ruckus. I glanced over and here was one Magpie limping, screeching its distress call (its version of help?), fluttering its wings like it was injured and couldn’t fly. It was doing this quite near to where one of our cats was sunning itself in the grass. Naturally the cat thought this a good opportunity for a fresh, feathery lunch and lunged for the bird. However, no sooner did the cat get within a few inches of the Magpie, when the Magpie flew up and perched itself on the fence, screeching (more like cackling) in delight in their high pitched shriek that they have, which, to me, sounded like it was laughing its silly head off at having just fooled the cat.

Meanwhile, the second Magpie flew down and landed just a few feet from where the cat now was, the cat looking a bit dazed and confused, because in its mind, the “wounded” Magpie should have been firmly gripped between its paws, not up there on the fence. The second Magpie repeated the first Magpie’s ‘injured’ prank. Sure enough, the cat fell for the trick and lunged for the second Magpie, and the Magpie also flew away just as the cat got within inches of what it anticipated to be an easy lunch.

The two Magpies repeated this caper, much to their own ‘kinky?’ delight at having so completely frustrated the cat. One Magpie would play injured, then fly away just as the cat got near it, then the second Magpie repeated the first one’s ‘injured’ play, then fly away just as the cat again got near. I finally ended up intervening, for had I not interrupted this little fun-play, I’m sure the two Magpies would have driven that poor cat crazy.

I know Magpies are very intelligent birds and are capable of the most intelligent, creative behavior patterns that I’ve ever seen in birds. But I also know that cats are very intelligent and usually not easily fooled, so why did it fall for the play of these two Magpies? I can only conclude that it would be for the same reason an otherwise seemingly intelligent human falls for the nefarious pranks of a scammer!

Sometimes we are the object of the joke, and sometimes we are the joker.

Amazing Intelligence in Animals—the Crafty Crow

“God loved birds so he invented trees. Man loved birds and invented cages.” — Jacques Deval

This story was first published in my column in the Temple City Star, 10th of August, 2017

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Most everyone that I’ve talked to can tell me at least one story of how smart dogs are and the intelligence that they display. But, do you know that birds are also very intelligent, especially the crow?

Crows are crafty little critters, ask anyone who’s tried to catch one or shoo it away from a fruit tree. A crow’s brain is about the size of a human thumb, putting it on relative par with primates.

A PBS series “Nature” showed an experiment where a crow figured out how to use a small stick to retrieve a larger stick, then use that larger stick to get at some food that had been placed out of its reach. Crows can also recognize individual people that are important to its survival, and can distinguish between who’s a danger or a friend to them.

Crows are born with tool-making abilities, and hone that ability by watching their elders, a sign of higher intelligence.

A lady in Seattle, Washington reported that her backyard crows have left over 70 trinkets in her bird feeder, including ear rings, a heart and “best friend” charm, all with an enticing reminder to “keep the food coming, lady.!”

If God created it, love it!

Amazing Intelligence in Animals—The Crafty Crow

Crows are smarter than you think!

This story first appeared on the 27th of July, 2017, in a column that I write for the Temple City Star.

Most everyone that I’ve talked to can tell me at least one story of how smart dogs are and the intelligence that they display. But, do you know that birds are also very intelligent, especially the crow?

Crows are crafty little critters, ask anyone who’s tried to catch one or shoo it away from a fruit tree. A crow’s brain is about the size of a human thumb, putting it on relative par with primates. A PBS series “Nature” showed an experiment where a crow figured out how to use a small stick to retrieve a larger stick, then use that larger stick to get at some food that had been placed out of its reach. Crows can also recognize individual people that are important to its survival, and can distinguish between who’s a danger or a friend to them.

Crows are born with tool-making abilities, and hone that ability by watching their elders, a sign of higher intelligence.

(name withheld) of Seattle, Washington, has reported that her backyard crows have left over 70 trinkets in her bird feeder, including ear rings, a heart and “best friend” charm, all with an enticing reminder to “keep the food coming, lady!”