The Genius of Birds

Birds can make complicated navigation decisions, sing in local “dialects,” and use tools. They’re capable of trickery and manipulation, they can eavesdrop, “kiss” to calm one another, bring gifts, teach and learn skills. They gather around the body of a deceased fellow and, apparently, mourn the loss—and all of this with a brain the size of a walnut. In her book “These Brilliant Birds,” the author examines newly discovered abilities of birds. After visiting scientific laboratories around the world, she shows what intelligent behavior of birds can be noticed very close at hand—right in the backyard, at bird feeders, in parks, on city streets, and in the wild nature—if only you observe more carefully. Jennifer Ackerman explains that bird intelligence can tell us something about our own thinking and about a world that is changing rapidly. This fact-packed, engagingly written book helps us see our feathered neighbors in a new way.