Who is smarter chicken or duck. Chicken brains. Experiment with chicken eggs

There is an assertion that a chicken is unworthy of being called a bird - it can fly with a kick from its owner. But we are of the opinion that the chicken is the most successfully evolved bird on the planet. After all, a high level of productivity, unpretentiousness in food and living conditions covers any disadvantage, and most importantly, they were to the taste of a person.

The chicken is the most popular and studied of all birds.At the moment, there are more than 30 billion individuals in the world. Each chicken is a unique platform for exploration.

1. A chicken is smarter than your baby.

Yes, toddlers are inferior to chicken in development. And inIn 2004, she became the first bird whose genome sequence was completely , which gave impetus to scientific intervention in their physiology, social behavior and even psychology. Scientists have found thatlearning and socialization levels in chickens are on par with primates. This bold conclusion of scientists gave us the crazy idea that perhaps one day we will be able to use these birds as chatbots…. But this is just our guess.

Needless to say, there's more going on in a chicken coop than the eye can see, and birds aren't tender-breasted egg-laying robots...especially if you bake the breast in honey sauce ... They are intelligent creatures that live their own lives! So if it never occurred to you what chickens might think, here's some food for thought. And if you want not only for reflection, here is an excellent .

2. They are more talkative than you on the 1st date.

Cackling is not random sounds, it is own language. In addition, scientists that they also make such sounds: "ko-ko", "pok", "brock" and "kwok". Of course, it will be difficult for you to distinguish between them, but if you had as much time for research as scientists from you could too.
We have no idea how they deciphered these sounds. But from these basic syllables, birds are able to compose at least 30 different phrases, which in meaning can be translated from chicken like this: “Hey, I found a bunch of grasshoppers, swoop in!”, “See you later, the testicles are not waiting!”, “Come here, sexy chick!"
Other phrases are a response to stressful situations, and are divided into calls that warn of predators.
Hens begin to speak affectionately to their chicks when they are stillin the egg, and if you listen carefully, you can hear the chicks chirping from the egg in response. But here's the problem: the chick perceives as a parent the one whom he first saw after hatching, despite the language affiliation.

3. Chickens have more empathy than your boss.

Joe Edgar, a British researcher, determined that chickens are able to empathize with others. He designed an experiment that simulated the stress of a chick and found that the mother hen acted as if she herself was in pain, which is classica sign of empathy.Birds may be in mourning when a chicken dies. They are prone to depression if isolated from the group and placed in a solitary cage.

4. Chickens dream more often and their dreams are more colorful than yours.

We know they can dream, but we don't know exactly what.When scientists learn the chicken language, they will ask the first laying hen: "What are you dreaming about?" So far, only what is known what do chickens eat in which they dream like humans and other mammals.
Their dreams are based on fears or desires. They see that they can fly like eagles (although in reality chickens can only fly for a few seconds).
Chickens have a phase of non-REM sleep that is different from humans - one half of the brain is resting, while the otherhalf are awake. That's why you can see a sleeping chicken with one eye open and one closed. This adaptation makes it possible to keep an eye on predators while resting and gives the chick a sense of security. Although it looks - at least shoot a horror movie.

5. Size matters! And every hen knows it

There are several criteria by which hens determine how attractive a rooster is. Size and stature are important, as more powerful males rank higher in the hierarchy and are thus able to provide more food for a harem of laying hens. The size and color of the comb also affects the choice, as does the beard - the hanging part under the chin. The bigger and redder the better. The food obtained, the beard and comb of the rooster are important during the mating dance, which is called the "ballroom". In it, the rooster repeatedly raises and lowers food, calling to the female, while shaking his beard and tuft as much as possible. However, hens prefer promiscuity and mate with several roosters in turn. They have the unique ability to reject low quality sperm after copulation - this ensures a strong brood.

A huge number of people suffer from a fear of chickens - this is called alectrophobia, which sounds as ridiculous as what scientists have learned about chickens. that chickens can distinguish between more than 100 individuals of their own species and humans. So they will remember someone who treats them badly. Chickens have demonstrated the ability to solve complex problems, they, like birds of prey, have a visual acuity of more than 300%, and a 360-degree field of view, like an owl. Their number is 4.5 times greater than the number of people on the planet. Chickens are the closest living Research determined this in 2007 by testing proteins from a preserved T-REX femur.

Yes, the world has yet to see chickens rise up against farmers because of poor conditions in the chicken coop or fear of giving in to the soup. Ho those who pluck feathers, cut off beaks and participate in other atrocities on industrial farms - beware, the birds are already plotting against you.

The ancient farmer quickly appreciated the excellent commercial and gustatory qualities of chickens, which, moreover, could not periodically fly to warmer climes, and began to actively "master" them. This process has gone so far that, according to impartial statistics, today chickens confidently hold the palm among all domestic animals in terms of the number of individuals raised for human food.

It can be assumed that humanity, in order not to experience unnecessary remorse at the sight of thousands and thousands of chicken carcasses in the slaughterhouse and not to spoil its appetite from thoughts of the cruel treatment of Corydalis, convinced itself that chickens, so to speak, do not have a special mind, very quarrelsome and unintelligible in many things. Well, to soften the feeling of mental discomfort.

However, many scientists argue that with the intelligence of chickens and with their natural abilities, not everything is so simple. In any case, do not underestimate the mental abilities of these domestic birds, as evidenced by most of the interesting facts about chickens given here.

Excellent memory

Chickens, it turns out, are able to distinguish more than a hundred members of their own species and for a long time to remember "in the face" of relatives in their herd. Experts guarantee: if one of the layers is temporarily (say, a few days) resettled from their own chicken coop, then upon their return, the chicken team will accept it with outstretched wings. Didn't you know that in terms of this ability, an ordinary ryaba chicken can compete with elephants?

Chickens, it turns out, are able to distinguish between more than a hundred members of their own species.

Relationship with dinosaurs

Chickens have full-color vision - well, just like humans! Some experts explain this feature ... by the relationship of chickens with dinosaurs. Since those distant times, when most mammals were nocturnal, lizards have evolved into birds, and at the same time they have never been nocturnal animals. That is why, scientists say, modern chickens only remotely and very schematically resembling formidable reptiles are endowed with good color vision.

Chickens have full color vision

Sociable Birds

Chickens are able to "tell" each other about what they see in front of them. For humans, such a "conversation" is perceived as an incoherent series of clucks and simple beak clicks. However, experts call this entire set of sounds the “language of communication”. Our birds have already recorded more than 24 different voices, which are very important for their life, safety and comfort. Chickens are able to clearly and in time notify their relatives about the appearance of dangerous predators, about tasty food or about a convenient place to rest ...

Chickens are able to "tell" each other about what they see in front of them.

They feel pain

Chickens have well-developed pain receptors. This circumstance makes them very sensitive to pain and various physical sufferings. One can only imagine how painful it is for them when, on modern poultry farms, chickens are cut off their beaks using an infrared laser, without painkillers.

Chickens have well developed pain receptors.

wonderful parents

Adult chickens are extremely aggressive and very selflessly protect their chicks from ruthless predators. And in general, they love their cubs very much - they miss the chickens when the kids are isolated from the family for any reason, they worry when they see that the chicks feel bad, they fall into severe depression in the event of the death of the offspring. So when someone calls you a "chicken" as an insult, you know what to say to your offender.

Adult chickens are extremely aggressive and very selflessly protect their chicks.

Noisy creatures

Chickens, and especially young chickens, are very noisy poultry. They love to run, jump, roar, sunbathe in the sun when they are given the opportunity. There are a lot of reasons why a real commotion can arise in the chicken coop from scratch, a huge number - starting with the appearance of a stranger in the poultry house, undivided feed and ending with the solemn announcement “I finally got laid!”. Meanwhile, millions and millions of birds on modern poultry farms spend their entire lives in cramped poultry houses, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich barely exceeds an A4 sheet of paper.

Chickens, and especially young chickens, are very noisy poultry.

And dreamers!

Domestic chickens are able to ... dream. Yes, just like people. How was it installed? Very simply - by such a factor as "rapid eye movement". It turns out that the REM phase, or the so-called. REM sleep, characteristic of both humans and chickens, indicates an increased degree of brain activity. Thus, it can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that when the young chicken sleeps, he is carried away in his dreams somewhere far, far away from the four walls of the hateful prison-house.

Domestic chickens are able to ... dream

swallow grass

Do you know how chickens eat grass? They just swallow it completely ingenuously, as a person does with spaghetti. Yes, you read it right!

Do you know how chickens eat grass?

Wild and domestic individuals rush differently

Chickens are wild and chickens are domestic and rush in different ways. The former, for example, lay only 10 to 15 eggs per year during their breeding season. A completely different matter is domesticated laying hens, which have to be carried on an industrial scale. Such birds, thanks to a certain selection, lay eggs almost every day. Moreover, such intensity in egg production (which, by the way, depends on many factors, including the breed of ripples) generally has a rather negative effect on the health of birds, since their natural reproductive properties are violated, and the ability to regularly lay eggs is depleted after a few years.

Chickens are wild and chickens are domestic and rush in different ways

They are smarter than human children

Research scientists have shown that chickens are likely smarter than human children. In any case, the research confidently demonstrates the ability of popular domestic birds to mathematical talents, their self-control, and even a predisposition to primary building skills.

Scientists have shown that chickens are likely smarter than human children

social hierarchy

Chickens usually know who among them is the real boss. Just like people, they form in their herd certain other social groups and structures, clearly obeying the established generally recognized hierarchy. And at the same time, all chickens know their place on this social "ladder". However, their entire social hierarchy collapses completely when thousands and tens of thousands of unfortunate birds are imprisoned in cages in intensive industrial poultry farms. As a result, birds, under the influence of constant stress, begin to fiercely fight with each other, peck and peck their own kind to death, as a result of which cases of real cannibalism are not uncommon among chickens.

Chickens usually know who among them is the real boss

Vulnerable

Chickens, according to some researchers, feel extremely vulnerable when they are in open artificial pastures. It turns out that the whole point is that initially in wild nature they lived in dense tropical forests, where it was easy to hide from predators. All this ended either 7 thousand, or 3 thousand years ago, either in African Ethiopia, or in Southeast Asia (scientists are still arguing about all this), when a person finally domesticated these pretty wild creatures. By the way, according to one version, not because of the tasty easily digestible meat, but for cruel cockfights.

Chickens, according to some researchers, feel extremely vulnerable when they find themselves in open artificial pastures.

Not so easy to deal with predators

Research scientists prove that chickens survive after being attacked by predators in 90% of cases if they live in their natural environment. By the way, there are a number of cases when chickens that survived the attack of predators lived for several days and even months ... without a head! Unbelievable, but it is a fact.

Research scientists prove that chickens survive after being attacked by predators in 90% of cases

Close relatives of ... tyrannosaurs

Chickens are the closest of now existing species animal relatives of the terrible tyrannosaur lizards, extinct millions of years ago. Some scientists see this relationship not only in the similarity in habits, but also in the minimum amount of genetic changes that chickens, in comparison with other birds, have undergone on the path of evolution from ferocious pangolins. Fortunately, the feathered heroes of our story are clearly not as scary as their toothy ancestors.

Chickens are the closest living animal species to the terrifying tyrannosaur reptiles.

Roosters are very affectionate

The love of roosters, which play a dominant role in the hierarchical system of the chicken community, is well known. It is also known that the process of persistent courtship of ardent males is necessarily accompanied by a specific dance, which English poultry farmers call “tidbitting”, which can be roughly translated as “offering a tidbit”. At the same time, the rooster, in a fit of love passion, shakes its head, moves its body up and down, thus attracting the attention of the chicken and encouraging her to reciprocate. And if the rooster has a large enough comb, then preference among other roosters is guaranteed.

The love of roosters, which play a dominant role in the hierarchical system of the chicken community, is well known.

The development of abstract thinking

Chickens - both adults and yellow-mouthed chickens - demonstrate excellent memory, observation and, as a result, well-developed abstract thinking. Unless, of course, you can say that about "stupid" chickens. In any case, they are quite capable of understanding that the object that they have already seen and then hidden from them must still exist somewhere. By the way, even small children do not have this ability.

Chickens - both adults and yellow-mouthed chicks - show excellent memory

Communicate with embryos

Mother hens, according to zoologists, during the incubation of future chickens, slowly communicate with the embryos in the eggs, and the unborn chicks clearly answer their mothers a few days before hatching. But this happens either in nature, or in a quiet village courtyard. Chickens born in a factory incubator are deprived of the opportunity not only to communicate with the hen before their birth, but also to ever meet their parents in general - after all, the egg is taken immediately as soon as the hen lays it.

Mother hens, according to zoologists, while hatching future chickens, slowly communicate with embryos

sun worshipers

Chickens are real sun worshippers. They constantly follow the sun's rays, orienting themselves around the sun in search of food and water. And the level of sunlight lets the birds know about the time - isn't it time for bed? However, most chickens, which are raised for tasty meat and nutritious eggs, almost never see the sun, sitting in their dark, windowless aviaries.

Chickens are real sun worshipers

Dusty bath fans

Without exception, chickens love dusty baths.

Day 42...

It is known that wild chickens in their natural habitat live from 5 to 11 years. Chickens raised in poultry farms for meat are most often slaughtered on the 42nd day of life. For birds that are kept on farms or in yards using the "free range" method, this period is extended to 56 days. The worst hit are male chicks that are born on farms that specialize in egg production - they are usually killed as soon as they are born.

It is known that wild chickens in their natural habitat live from 5 to 11 years.

And one more interesting fact Oh chickens - they are just amazing! But, unfortunately, these beautiful, intelligent and emotional birds very often have to live in horrendous conditions before they have to get on the human table.

Well, have you lost your appetite yet?

Are chickens that stupid?

The chickens look a bit strange, though cute. There are about 19 billion chickens in the world, making them one of the most common bird species on the planet. Many people perceive domestic chickens as pets, despite the fact that they are typical members of the chicken class - along with pheasants, partridges and turkeys. They are treated like a stupid little homemade egg and feather factory. But perhaps after reading our article, you will change your mind.

Arithmetic skills

It turned out that even small groups of chickens are able to interact with each other quite intelligently and sometimes using aggression.

Scientists conducted a study in which they invited a group of students to observe a two-hour training of chickens. The birds were forced to alternately experience 3 emotions: boredom, grief and joy.

The students were initially convinced that watching chickens was a rather boring activity. However, in the end, they changed their minds and admired how quickly these birds are able to learn.

Earlier, another study was published showing that chickens have a good memory, they can add and subtract. The author of the experiment, Rosa Rugani, suggested feeding the chickens daily near the plate, which shows 5 dots. For some time, the researchers taught the birds to do this, and then placed 2 more plates side by side: one had 2 dots, and the other had 8. The chickens remembered that the food was behind the one with 5 dots, and understood that 2 was less than 5, so such a plate is located on the left, and with eight - on the right. Scientists believe that this proves the presence of arithmetic skills in chickens.

Intelligent communication

The researchers also found that the birds don't just cackle, they have a conversation. For example, if a rooster finds food, he makes special calls to call the hens, and these sounds differ depending on the type of food. In the event that a competitor (another rooster) is nearby, he will peck all the food on his own. However, there are also cases when birds deceive each other. For example, roosters sometimes call hens, using the same calls they make when food is found, to a place where there is no food. Apparently, this is their own peculiar way of "framing". There is a certain communication in the corral: the birds communicate with each other and can change the subject, depending on who the conversation is with.

self-control

Another experience with chickens showed that these birds are capable of planning and self-control. In two different bowls, they were offered food: in the first case, the grain was poured with an interval of 2 seconds, but in small portions, and in the second, with an interval of 6 seconds, but in large quantities. Birds preferred to wait to get more food.

Birds can show empathy

It has been noted that chickens are empathetic. This is especially evident in the case of maternal instinct. If the birds see how small chickens are placed in an incubator where there is a lack of air, older chickens begin to call children loudly and often, their heart beats faster at this moment. They worry even if the chicken does not feel discomfort and feels good.

The next time you feel like calling someone a stupid chicken, consider that maybe these birds don't deserve to be called that. It is very important that such studies are carried out and prove the presence of intelligence in chickens. Maybe this will help those who breed these birds to look at them in a new way and stop perceiving them as a factory for the production of eggs.

No one is surprised that some animals are smarter than others. In particular, among the birds there are very smart creatures that show intellectual abilities that, as previously thought, were characteristic only of humans. For example, magpies recognize their reflection in a mirror, and New Caledonian ravens create tools, and young birds adopt these skills from their parents. African parrots can count objects and classify them by color and shape, and can even be taught to understand human speech. A gray crested cockatoo named Snowball dances with pleasure to rhythmic music. However, hardly anyone would consider an ordinary domestic chicken to be a smart bird.

However, for last years scientists have found that chickens are cunning creatures that can only pretend to be stupid, and that in the field of communication they have abilities at the level of some primates, using a complex system of signals to convey their intentions. In the decision-making process, chickens rely on both their own experience and their knowledge of the environment. They are able to solve rather complex problems and even empathize with relatives who are in danger. A new understanding of cognition in chickens suggests that some complex intelligence traditionally attributed only to primates may be much more common in the animal kingdom than previously thought.

The research being discussed also raises the question of how ethical our treatment of domestic chickens raised in poultry farms is. Indeed, the realization that chickens have highly developed cognitive skills makes one wonder how morally justified it is to keep them on farms in conditions aimed solely at making chicken meat and eggs as cheap as possible.

chatty birds

It took nearly 100 years of research to find out exactly what goes on in the chicken brain. The first shifts were outlined in the 1920s. of the last century, when the Norwegian biologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe identified the existence of a hierarchical social system in these birds, which he called the “pecking order”. He made such a conclusion after he discovered that chickens defend their leading position in the hierarchy, distributing blows with their beaks to those relatives who, being lower in rank, dare to act (or even just intentions) that are not due to their status.

The next major breakthrough in understanding chicken intelligence came a few decades later. The late Nicholas and Elsie Collias, who worked together at the University of California, Los Angeles, classified the sounds made by birds and determined that the chicken "repertoire" contains about 24 different calls, many of which are apparently used only under certain conditions. For example, when faced with a threat from above, say, an eagle flying out to hunt, the birds fall to the ground and emit a quiet, excited "ee-ee-ee." And the clucking that most people associate with chickens is actually a warning of a land-based predator. If the rooster finds food, then he usually makes a series of insistent calls, transmitted as "dock-dock", especially if there is an opportunity to interest the female whose attention he sought.

These discoveries made it possible to reflect on the fact that much more complex processes may be taking place in the chicken brain than it seems at first glance - even if this brain is no larger than a hazelnut. After all, it is quite natural to assume that a certain set of sounds allows chickens to transmit messages to each other, designed for a very specific reaction. However, it was not easy to confirm such conjectures. Only in the 1990s. the development of technology has given scientists the opportunity to test various hypotheses in detail and reveal the true purpose of calls in birds. It was then that the late Chris Evans of Macquarie University in Sydney. Australia and other researchers have begun using digital audio recorders and high-resolution television screens to conduct controlled experiments aimed at discovering the meaning of certain sounds in the highly signal-rich chicken "speech". The essence of the work was that with the help of television screens placed around the cages, a whole “virtual reality” was created for the birds, in which it was possible to make the chicken “contact” with a variety of creatures - a companion, competitor, predator - and record the response of the experimental bird in a given situation. The test hens were shown either a hawk flying over them, or a fox running towards them, and at another time, a rooster relative, publishing its “doc-doc”.

Experiments in virtual reality revealed a completely unexpected fact: both verbal and non-verbal signals (body movements) produced by chickens convey meaningful information that is understandable to all other individuals of the species. For example, to evoke a defensive reaction in a chicken, it does not have to show a real predator at all - it is enough to let another bird listen to the warning signal. Animal behaviorists can rightfully call chicken "speech" functionally oriented. This should be understood in such a way that their sound signals denote specific objects or events, and this is generally reminiscent of the use of words in human speech. As soon as the chicken hears a certain sound, an image of a certain object appears in her brain, prompting the bird to the corresponding behavior - for example, to escape from a predator or go to the feeder.

In addition, in experiments in “virtual reality”, the researchers found that the signals sent by the bird depend on how it relates to the individuals around it. For example, a rooster that has noticed a threat will raise the alarm only if a female is nearby, while in the presence of a male competitor, he will prefer to remain silent. However, the behavior of females is as selective as the behavior of males - they sound the alarm only if they have a brood of chicks.

Summarizing these facts, it can be argued that the sounds made by chickens reflect something more than just their internal state at the level of "I'm hungry" or "I'm scared." In addition, they delve into the meaning of ongoing events and react to them impurely reflexively, with the help of well-thought-out actions. Therefore, chickens think before they do something - and this feature brings them closer not so much to other birds, but to mammals, whose brains are much larger.

Not by washing, so by skating?

The presence of a system of meaningful signals in domestic chickens suggests that their thinking is a much more complex and developed process than previously thought. This raises another very intriguing question: since these birds have the ability to share information about events and phenomena taking place around them, can they “hold” useful information for themselves or even disseminate it in a distorted form in order to gain benefits? Scientists got the answer to this question by studying other types of signals given by chickens.

Ever since the 40s. 20th century researchers were well aware of the elaborate dances that chickens perform when food is found. The most spectacular of these is called "tidbitting": it consists of a series of movements with which the rooster (alpha male) tries to show the female that he has found something tasty for her. At the same time, he quickly jerks his head up and down and from side to side, periodically raising and tossing the found delicacy. This performance is the main way to attract a female to a rooster. Scientists believed that other males should not show the same behavior in order to avoid aggression from the alpha male. However, observations of chickens in their social environment showed that the hierarchy based on the "order of pecking". - the thing is not as unambiguous as it seemed after the first experiments. Indeed, the results of more recent studies suggest that these birds can be surprisingly insidious beasts.

The true underpinnings of the relationships that unfold between individual chickens within a flock were initially misunderstood by observers. After all, chickens are constantly striving to find refuge from prying eyes in tall grass or in thickets of shrubs. In addition, it is simply impossible for one person to keep track of all the birds at the same time. To keep the difficulty to a minimum, one of the authors of this article (Carolynn Smith) came up with an exploratory scheme that she called, in the Orwellian tradition, Chicken Big Brother.

On the grounds of Macquarie University, Smith and her colleagues set up open aviaries, vast natural areas bounded on all sides by nets, with lots of vegetation, many microphones and high-definition tracking cameras to monitor literally every movement and sound made by birds. The researchers then carefully analyzed the resulting recordings.

As expected, in each group, the alpha male constantly crowed to remind everyone of his rights to the occupied territory. He, of course, also arranged an incendiary dance “tidbit” for his females and warned the entire group when they were in danger from above.

But the real surprise was presented just by the roosters, who occupied a much more modest position in the hierarchy. It seemed obvious to the researchers that they would be as careful as possible to avoid conflict with the alpha male, who would chase them, peck or spur them for trying to “show off” in front of his harem. However, thanks to cameras and microphones, a much more complex picture appeared before scientists. "Secondary" males have chosen a different, covert tactic, previously considered impossible for birds. They performed only the motor part of the dance, without making a sound, which allowed them to silently attract females, without giving the alpha male a reason for aggressive attacks.

The researchers were simply amazed at the amazing plasticity of the behavior of low-ranking males, who changed the ritual of the dance in such a way as to secretly seduce females. But that was only the beginning!

Scientists had a chance to feel the full depth of chicken cunning only when they were able to complicate the recording equipment for a more accurate study of the behavior of birds. The fact is that chicken voices were often so subtle that Smith and her colleagues were not able to hear them properly even at maximum resolution. They needed a tool that would actually allow them to record any sound made by one chicken and heard by another.

Ideally, chickens would be equipped with small "backpacks" with lightweight wireless microphones inside - such as journalists carry with them when working in the field. But where to find material suitable for such purposes? And then it occurred to Smith to use ... bras! She began to look for old bras with simple fasteners and preferably black, so that they did not stand out too much against the dark plumage. Smith cut off the hooks and adjustable straps and made something like a harness from them, to which she attached the microphones. Such home-made devices, called Chicken Big Brother 2.0, were securely fixed on the chicken’s chest and now recorded literally everything that the bird itself hears or says.

Scientists were especially interested in the reaction of chickens to danger. Previous observations have shown that the male, when attacked by an aerial predator such as a hawk, will often "bring fire upon himself" by screeching loudly about danger and thereby exposing himself to the obvious risk of being seen and captured. The researchers explained this by that it is vitally important for a male to protect his female and offspring. But Carolynn Smith was wondering if there were any other circumstances influencing this type of behavior.

Research has shown that there are such factors. With the help of his invention, which allows you to parse the finest nuances of chicken signals. Smith was able to prove that. trumpeting about danger, males are often guided solely by selfish motives. When a threat approached, males compared their chances of avoiding danger with those of their rivals and raised the alarm more often if they thought they were safer than their competitors. In general, males call for danger more often if they are hiding in the bushes, and their rival is walking around in the open in full view of a hungry predator. With a successful combination of circumstances, a cunning rooster can kill two birds with one stone with one shot - and protect its female, and get rid of the enemy!

This strategy is known in behavioral science as "risk compensation" and is another trait common to both chickens and humans. It has been proven that many of us take on more if there are any "extenuating" circumstances. Just as a person presses harder on the gas if he is wearing a seat belt or a car is equipped with anti-lock brakes, so a rooster is more likely to risk his life when he feels sufficiently protected.

caring mothers

The list of chicken cognitive abilities grows with each new discovery. Giorgio Vallortigara from the University of Trento. Italy, proved that young chickens can distinguish numbers and even use the principles of geometry. So the birds, which were shown a triangle drawn only halfway, were able to recognize its true shape. A study published in 2011 by Joanne Edgar and colleagues at the University of Bristol. England, demonstrated that in addition to their downright Machiavellian cunning, chickens show the ability to sincerely empathize with others.

In the experiment mentioned, mother hens were made to watch their chicks receive harmless and painless blows with a jet of air that only ruffled their fluffy plumage. However, the chicks themselves perceived the tremors as a real threat and showed the classic signs of stress, such as an increased heart rate and a drop in temperature. Surprisingly, their mothers also began to worry and cackle more animatedly, seeing the reaction of their chicks. They showed the same signs of stress as their chicks, although they themselves did not feel the air shocks and clearly saw that there was no immediate threat to the chicks. All these results demonstrate the ability of common chickens to put themselves in the place of their relatives, which is a very specific behavioral trait that was previously attributed to only a limited number of species, such as crows, squirrels and, of course, humans. The fact that a simple domestic chicken, which is not closely related to those groups of birds whose high intelligence is common knowledge, has an equally outstanding intelligence, makes us think about the mystery of the origin of the mind in general. Perhaps "reasonableness" is inherent in the animal world to a much greater extent than previously thought, and appears wherever it favors social image life, and does not constitute an exception, difficult to access for biological evolution. In all likelihood, chickens inherited a powerful cognitive gift from their wild ancestor, the banking chicken, which lives in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. In those places, the ancestors of chickens formed long-term, relatively stable groups, numbering from four to 13 individuals of different ages. The dominant male and female heading each group, like most animals, got their best, be it food, space to live, or sexual partners, at the expense of more or less suppression of the rest of the pack. Males spent the bulk of their time attracting females and providing them with food; females, on the other hand, carefully observed males, evaluating their actions and remembering their actions in order to avoid those who acted vilely or unkindly in the future. The "reputation" of each individual cock was of great importance for his successful and long-term communication with females, since the competition for them was fierce.

However, competition within the flock is not the only factor pushing the bird's mind to develop. The presence of threats from outside (including terrestrial and flying predators such as foxes and hawks) led to a variety of escape strategies that varied depending on the behavior of the predator. This forced the birds to develop more highly intelligent ways of interacting with each other and responding to dangers from outside, as well as to look for ways to "discuss" emerging situations. All of the traits listed above are still present in domesticated chickens.

It's not easy to come to terms with that. that all this long list of intellectual abilities refers to birds, which mankind has used for millions of years as an unfailing source of food. Involuntarily, the question arises about the conditions of their maintenance and cultivation. Birds that live in small groups in the wild can be kept on farms at an incredible density of 50,000 birds per house. The life expectancy of ten years for chickens in nature is reduced here to six weeks if they are raised for meat. They are killed young because of the threat of heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fractures, which are inevitable consequences of super-fast growth in breeds specially selected for poultry meat. Laying hens were “lucky” a little more - after all, they have a life of a year and a half, albeit in a cage with an area of ​​\u200b\u200ba sheet of A4 format.

The flexibility and adaptability of domestic chickens, inherited from their flocking wild ancestor, the Banking chicken, seems to have played a trick on them, allowing the new species to survive in the completely abnormal, stressful conditions in which people raise them. And it is unlikely that anything will change until most of us think about it. where our food comes from, and how intelligent creatures it costs their lives.

However, gradually begin to see clearly even the townsfolk. In Europe and some North American states, such as California, new laws are being passed to require better conditions for laying hens. The process was initiated by the buyers themselves, concerned about improving the health of animals, as well as improving the quality of food. Australian growers are now emphasizing improving the conditions for raising chickens on their farms as part of their competition for an ever-growing segment of "caring" consumers. However, much remains to be done. The conditions under which chickens are raised for meat are still poorly known to the general public.

Scientists are just beginning to comprehend the true essence of the type of intelligence that is peculiar to chickens, but one fact is no longer in doubt: common sayings hinting at the complete lack of intelligence in chickens: chicken brains, "stupid as a chicken" and the like - should henceforth be considered an anachronism .

If you want to start raising chickens, you can find a lot of useful information on this site.

A variety of birds live near us. We love them for their individuality, temperament, bright colors and plumage play, effervescent singing and, not in last turn, for ingenuity, sense of humor, and sometimes an extraordinary mind. Which birds are considered the most intelligent, and why these species, you will learn from this article.

There are two main approaches to answering the question of whether a bird can be considered intelligent. The first, more primitive assessment determines how close the bird is able to imitate human behavior and adapt to coexistence - whether it can solve problems, open a cage or a bag of food, talk, and so on.

The second, more scientific approach, looks at the situation from a different angle, according to which it assesses how well the bird is able to adapt to its environment. Both directions have their advantages and disadvantages, but given that birds cannot take IQ tests, both approaches can give a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe intelligence of a bird.

The most intelligent birds ‒ Crows

Man has long known that the raven and other birds of the raven family are very intelligent birds, and studies have shown that they are probably the most intelligent birds.

Ravens (Corvus corax) are found in European folklore and Native American traditions dating back to ancient times and are large birds with glossy black feathers, heavy beaks and broad, sweeping wings.

They have wedge-shaped tails, which they masterfully use for control during flight and acrobatic stunts. While on the ground, crows stagger slightly or bounce on both legs at the same time.

Why are they considered the smartest birds? The basis for this is painstaking scientific research. One of the most famous researchers on the intelligence of ravens was Bernd Heinrich, who published his findings in The Mind of Ravens. He spent decades surrounded by wild crows, studying their behavior.

The main startling conclusion of the scientist was that crows can think about the consequences of their actions and make decisions based on them. They have problem solving and learning skills. It is definitely one of the smartest birds on the planet, if not the smartest.

The most intelligent birds - African Gray parrots

The African Gray Parrot (Psittcus erithacus) is an old friend of every bird lover. It was this species that became famous as a quick-witted companion of John Silver in the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

African gray parrots are famous for their ability to communicate meaningfully, and not just imitate sounds. It's really hallmark very smart bird.

Research has shown that they can memorize a vocabulary of 500 words and use them to express their thoughts and desires, just like humans do. In fact, these smart birds have the same level of understanding of speech as a three-year-old child.

This speech ability most likely comes from the fact that parrots in the wild use a wide range of sounds to communicate with other parrots. They can "talk" about everything - from courting and raising chicks, to nutrition and finding shelter, birds even know how to mourn the dead of their fellow tribesmen.

The African gray parrot, along with other bird species presented in this article, can deservedly be considered one of the most intelligent birds.

The most intelligent birds - Starlings

Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are incredibly social birds, and their outgoing nature probably helps develop their intelligence, which is why starlings are considered highly intelligent birds.

A common species found in Europe, North Africa and Asia, and once in North America, he immediately felt at home. Starlings are stunningly beautiful, their plumage is not just black - feathers shimmer in the light, shining with different shades of blue, green and purple.

One of the most obvious signs of starling intelligence is their famous group movements. It is an amazing sight when thousands of birds merge together in a breathtaking demonstration of amazing coordination of movements, recreating rapidly changing forms, filling the entire sky.

Sky performance of starlings - an unforgettable sight

Exactly how starlings carry out their performance or why they do it is not thoroughly understood, but the organization and impressive attentiveness, the incomprehensible composure of all members of a huge group of birds, none of which collides with another, is simply phenomenal.

Starlings are amazingly intelligent birds that are still not well understood.

The most intelligent birds - Weavers

There are many types of weavers, they come mainly from the tropical forests of Africa, located south of the Sahara. Some of them live in South Asia and Madagascar.

Clever little birds are the unsurpassed architects of the bird world and get their sonorous name from the impressive nests that males create for their mate during the breeding season.

These birds are similar in size to sparrows, with some species having thick and heavy beaks to peel off the tough seed coat, while others have longer and sharper beaks to catch insects. Males are dressed in bright colors, while females remain inconspicuous.

Weavers are very smart birds, because they not only weave their beautiful nests, they are able to teach this art and can be trained. They are not born with an innate ability to create elaborate houses, they are forced to work hard, study and develop skills all their lives.

Some of the species build communal nesting areas with hundreds of nests, which require collaborative work much like urban planning. After that, how can one not call the weaver the smartest bird?

The smartest birds - Chickens

The chicken is perhaps the last bird that comes to mind when you think about choosing the smartest feathered representative. But this is completely unfair! Domestic chickens evolved from the Red Jungle Hen about 5,000 years ago and are highly inquisitive, social birds and well adapted to living in nature and around humans.

They recognize people, remember places they have been, and a range of events, both good and bad. The linguistic system of chickens is extensive, and includes about thirty different "words".

silk hens

Chickens are beautifully designed by nature, they can fly short distances if necessary, although they usually soar vertically into the air when threatened. The shape of the beak is versatile - they can consume a variety of food, which gives a better chance of survival, while strong legs are great for raking the ground and finding food spotted by a sharp chicken eye.

The hen is a caring mother hen and carefully trains the chicks to understand the different shades of her call, peck at the grains and hide in case of danger. The chicken is definitely one of the smartest birds. And certainly, the closest and most valuable species of birds for humans.

The most intelligent birds - Hummingbird

Of all the 9,600 bird species, the hummingbird has probably the most difficult way to fly. They have mastered its unique form, which combines high speed and spinning movements, making the miniature bird soar in the air like a helicopter.

Unlike ordinary birds, hummingbirds have shoulders and elbow joints are located close to each other, and the bones of the hand are expanded. This means that they can rotate their wings around the flower like bumblebees and also fly long distances.

Some of the species travel up to three thousand miles during their migration. At the same time, the birds are not just small, they are the smallest in the world - the bee hummingbird from Cuba reaches only 5.7 cm in length and 2 g in weight.

Everything in these little creatures is adapted to the consumption of the main food - the nectar of flowers. Special wings allow them to soar and collect nectar with the help of a long beak and tongue.

This is probably one of the most intelligent birds in terms of the birds themselves, combining miniature size and remarkable adaptability to habitat conditions.

Gray African parrot - smart and charming

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