Parrots and the
The common magpie is one of the most intelligent birds—and one of the most intelligent animals to exist. Their brain-to-body-mass ratio is outmatched only by that of humans and equals that of aquatic mammals and great apes.
African Greys: Generally considered the most intelligent talking bird species, with speaking/thinking abilities comparable to human toddlers, the Timneh Grey parrot typically learns to talk earlier in life than the Congo African Grey.
Magpies can also be taught to speak. They hide food and can relocate hidden food with incredible accuracy." With regard to their intelligence, magpies are very much like fellow corvids – jays, rooks, ravens and crows, says Walt Koenig, a senior scientist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
1. African Grey Parrot – The Vocally Intelligent Bird Who Understands Words. African Greys may not have the most striking plumage in the avian's world, but they have the brains that will rival that of a 5-year-old child. So, it should come as no surprise that these birds dominate this list.
With that kind of thinking, crows and ravens and their related kin species certainly get my vote as the most intelligent birds on the planet. Reprinted from Canadian Wildlife magazine.
The Australian magpie is one of the cleverest birds on earth. It has a beautiful song of extraordinary complexity. It can recognize and remember up to 30 different human faces.
The Australian magpie, Cracticus tibicen, is conspicuously "pied", with black and white plumage reminiscent of a Eurasian magpie. It is a member of the family Artamidae and not a corvid.
Our canine friends are not nearly as clever as chimpanzees or dolphins. They rank in a similar way to cats, goats and pigs. And depressingly, in some ways, they aren't as smart as birds like pigeons and magpies.
African Greys
Their intelligence is some of the most well-known of any species, and their grasp of language and communication has often been compared to that of young children.
1. Kakapo. Kakapos are the dumbest birds in the world! Kakapo birds, also known as owl parrots, are commonly found in New Zealand.
Australian Magpies are strongly territorial and defend their territories both from other magpies as well as potential predators. Unfortunately, some individual magpies perceive humans as a potential threat and accordingly, swoop down with a fast warning flight, occasionally making contact.
An uncommon alternative name for the Australian Magpie is Flute Bird. The magpie can mimic over 35 species of native and introduced bird species, as well as other animal calls, such as those of dogs and horses.
A key reason why friendships with magpies are possible is that we now know that magpies are able to recognise and remember individual human faces for many years. They can learn which nearby humans do not constitute a risk. They will remember someone who was good to them; equally, they remember negative encounters.
What Is A Group of Magpies Called? There are many collective nouns for magpies, but perhaps the most common names for a group of magpies are a conventicle, gulp, mischief, tidings or tribe of magpies[i].
If a magpie has ever swooped on you, you might find this next part hard to believe. It turns out magpies can and do, form friendships with humans – and not just when they want food.
Magpies love:
Open woodlands with tall trees but no understory. Big, old trees which give them somewhere safe to build their nests and sleep at night. Hunting and eating insects. Mimicking other birds' calls, car alarms, dogs barking, phones ringing and even human voices.
Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis.
Currawongs are among the most intelligent birds and will be very difficult to deter with models that mimic predators or with randomly produced sounds.
Key Points. Scientists compare the intelligence of crows to that of a seven-year-old human child. Crows, ravens, and other corvids are the only non-primates that make tools. Crows are capable of abstract reasoning, complex problem-solving, and group decision-making.
Large corvids and parrots possess the largest avian brains, harboring the highest absolute numbers of neurons (Fig. 1 D and E and Fig. S4C).