When it comes to problem-solving, humans have evolved to be the best species in the world. There are many animals that are able to complete some very advanced tasks, however, and the list of them is growing as scientists continue to do more studies.
It is known that in the avian world, crows are highly intelligent and able to perform surprisingly complex tasks. According to a study published in Current Biology, however, crows are just one of many birds with this trait. The study looked at striated caracaras, which are a member of the Falconidae family.
This specific bird lives in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. This part of the world gets quite cold and food is generally pretty scarce, which means the birds need to be able to find food from as many places as possible.
With this in mind, the researchers placed a puzzle box in the area where they normally look for food. If they are able to solve one of eight puzzles, they get rewarded with food.
In the initial study, each bird was given one chance to solve the puzzle per day. In a statement about the study, Kate Harrington of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna commented:
“They were ace! We were really blown away by how quickly they set to the tasks and solved them. This is unlike anything we’ve seen before in wild birds of prey.”
When the puzzle box was put out, the birds would quickly approach it to investigate. Their curiosity is likely due to the fact that they need to look for food in as many different places as possible in order to survive in their harsh environment.
It took some tries, but the birds were eventually able to figure out the puzzles and then repeat the process each time the box reappeared for them.
The research team then came back about a year later to check to see if they would remember how to solve the puzzles, and they certainly did.
In nearly 70% of cases, the bird was able to immediately try the same approach that worked for them in the previous year. In some cases, they attempted a solution to a different puzzle, but then quickly pivoted to the correct option.
The team was careful to ensure only one bird was working on the puzzle at a time, and the others were kept too far away to witness each other. This was done by distracting them with another food source.
This study shows that more birds than crows and parrots have great problem-solving abilities. Future studies will undoubtedly look at other species of birds to see just how widespread this type of ability really is.
It is amazing how smart these birds really are.
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