Bird Brain: An Exploration of Avian Intelligence

This is an extensive introductory review of the subject of intelligence in birds, with lots of pictures. It is neither an academic textbook or a coffee table potboiler, but pitched very much inbetween.

The bulk of it is divided into seven chapters and these are further subdivided into, mostly, two or four page spreads covering particular issues – about half of each is pictures. The chapters cover how our understanding of the bird brain has evolved, touching on navigation (both in the migratory sense and finding previously stored food supplies), communication (both visual and vocal), social living, problem solving (and the use and making of tools), and the sense of self and planning. It is completed by a chapter summarising what we have learnt and how it relates to other animals including ourselves.

The text does not go into great detail but there is quite a bit of science. References are not explicitly referred to although there is a short list at the end. A complete source list is on the author’s website (www.featheredape.com). The pictures are mostly photographs of birds doing something and often with a diagram of relevant bits of the brain superimposed. All this makes it a very attractive introduction to quite a complex and fast moving area of research.

Book reviewed by Peter Lack