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Birds, one of nature's most
amazing success stories.
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There are thousands
of different species,
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found everywhere on earth.
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They're beautiful...
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inspiring...
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and mysterious.
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But could they be smart?
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People commonly think of birds
as small-brained
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and not worth looking at.
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But in the last couple of years,
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our view of bird minds
has been revolutionized.
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Scientists are putting birds
to the test.
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Can they solve problems?
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Can they cooperate?
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Are we friends again?
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Do they feel emotion?
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New research shows
just how clever they can be.
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Every day with these birds
is interesting and different.
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It's always fun
and exciting and new.
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And perhaps they're more like us
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than we could have
ever imagined.
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We're starting to realize
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that the simplest explanation
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may be that they're seeing
the world in much the same way
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that we do.
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Exploring the "Bird Brain"
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right now on "NOVA."
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It's picnic time at a small zoo
in the English countryside,
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and visitors are about to meet
a very special parrot.
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His name is Rio,
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and after three I want you to
shout "Rio" as loud as you can.
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One, two, three.
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Rio!
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Rio is a ten-year old
scarlet macaw
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from the South American
rain forest
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who's been trained
as an entertainer.
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Can you show everybody
your wings?
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Come on then, Rio.
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There we go.
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Rio will fly on cue.
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Give him a big round
of applause... well, done, Rio,
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lovely flying today.
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And he's a talented gymnast.
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- Yeah, he's showing off today.
- Really Rio, definitely.
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But today he's going
to try something
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that's not in his repertoire
of show tricks.
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It's called a string pull test.
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Rio's favorite food... a peanut...
Is dangling on a string.
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He'll have to pull the string up
to get the peanut.
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Rio has not been trained
to do this.
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In fact, he's never seen
this puzzle before.
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And it isn't a skill
a parrot normally needs.
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If you're a parrot in the wild,
you probably
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will never come across a treat
dangling from a piece of string.
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So it had to figure out
what to do.
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That implies these birds
have the ability
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to visualize a puzzle...
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To visualize a physical action,
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and then to foresee the
consequences of that action.
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Rio can see the string,
and the peanut he wants.
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At first, he's not interested.
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But after a few minutes...
And a little encouragement...
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He figures out what to do.
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And once he's figured it out,
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he can repeat it
without trial and error.
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When a bird pulls a string
and secures food in that way,
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it demonstrates a level
of insight into the problem.
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It has worked out the mechanics
and the process beforehand.
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And that's not something
we used to think
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birds really did much of.
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00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:34,530
For many decades,
scientists thought
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that most of a bird's behavior
was ruled by instinct.
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In the 1930s, the Austrian
zoologist Konrad Lorenz
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conducted some of the earliest
studies on the lives of birds.
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Working with geese,
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he saw that they learn
from the moment they're born.
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It's called imprinting...
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They follow the actions
of the first thing they see...
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Which is usually their mother.
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But Lorenz showed that even this
most basic instinctive behavior
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can be learned in a new way.
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These geese imprinted on him.
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The significance
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of the imprinting experiment
was it showed that
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there were behaviors
such as following
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that the behavior itself
is instinctive.
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But the cue, what do you follow,
that's learned.
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Lorenz spent years trying
to tease out the difference
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between instinct
and intelligent behavior.
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In one set of observations,
he discovered that
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a goose sitting on a nest
reacts immediately
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if an egg rolls away, she brings
it back to the clutch.
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It looks like
an intelligent action.
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But if the egg is removed, she
still continues the movement.
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Her brain is responding
instinctively
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to a simple trigger.
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Even when the egg
is replaced with a cube,
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she brings it back
into the nest.
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When the bird continues
the motion
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even after the egg is gone,
that implies
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00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,170
that the behavior
is more or less instinctive.
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The bird isn't consciously
thinking through
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the consequences of its actions.
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Even what looks like an
incredibly complicated skill...
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Flying... Requires
very little thought.
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There are many aspects of flying
that are controlled
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without ever sending signals
to the brain.
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And they're controlled
right by feedback
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from the feathers
to the spinal cord,
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and control how the wings
are then moved to change flight,
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without thinking about it
at all.
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Huge groups of birds
can fill the sky
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with beautiful and coordinated
patterns of flight.
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00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,520
This spectacle seems
like it would require
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00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,920
high levels of intelligence,
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but it's mainly instinctive.
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So is everything a bird does
ruled by instinct?
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Or do they have what
we would consider intelligence?
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Meet Bran...
A hand-reared young raven...
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And his owner,
bird trainer Lloyd Buck.
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Well, this is Bran,
and he's a three-year-old raven.
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We've had him
since he was about ten days old,
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so he's what you call
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"complete social imprint"
on humans,
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but he's particularly bonded
with me.
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We share a very, very
close bond.
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To keep Bran busy,
Lloyd will sometimes
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give him a problem to solve.
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00:08:01,510 --> 00:08:03,470
Here's one he tried
a few months ago,
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00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,280
in Bran's aviary,
where there's a birdbath.
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A piece of food is trapped
inside a plastic bottle
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that's been crushed.
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First, Bran adds water.
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00:08:24,830 --> 00:08:27,200
That alone doesn't free
the food,
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so he swishes it around
so that liquid carries the food
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out of the bottle top.
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That's my boy!
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Good boy!
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Lloyd didn't teach Bran
how to solve this problem.
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He just gave him the challenge
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and let him figure it out
on his own.
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So, we've presented him
with that problem,
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and through his own intelligence
and problem-solving abilities,
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he worked out
to use his own water,
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00:09:01,370 --> 00:09:03,940
what he had around him,
to his advantage,
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which I think shows
a lot of intelligence.
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Ravens like Bran
and parrots like Rio
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belong to two families of birds
that are widely considered
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to be among
the smartest species.
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00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,690
Ravens are part
of the crow family.
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Crows live almost everywhere
on earth,
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with an average lifespan
of ten to 15 years.
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They have a starring role
in many classic myths
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as cunning animals
who bring bad luck.
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Parrots, on the other hand,
have been loved
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as pets by humans
for thousands of years.
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They also thrive
in many different environments,
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and they can live
to be 80 years old.
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Their long life span gives them
plenty of opportunity
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to learn new things,
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and that may be one reason
why they seem so smart.
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At the Haidlhof Research Station
near Vienna,
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scientists are studying
the intelligence
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of many kinds
of crows and parrots.
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What makes our center unique
is the fact that we have
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multiple bird species here
at the same time,
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and it is very interesting
to compare them.
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They're working with
a type of parrot
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called a kea, from New Zealand.
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This is John,
and he'll be trying
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a much harder string-pull test.
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First, peanut butter
is hidden in a small tube
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and tied to the end of a string.
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Right away this is
a more complex challenge,
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because the treat
is out of sight,
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instead of hanging
right in front of him.
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To complicate things further,
now there are two strings,
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but the second one
just has a stick on the end.
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John goes straight
to the correct string
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00:11:08,290 --> 00:11:10,730
where the reward hangs
directly below him.
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Next, the two strings
are crossed.
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So now the reward is no longer
directly below the attachment
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to the right string.
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And John has to decide
which string to pull.
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When the string
is anchored here,
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and the reward is here,
and a string is anchored here,
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and the reward is here,
the position of the reward
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is actually opposite to where
the bird might expect it to be.
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So it implies an additional
layer of processing.
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00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:51,700
John immediately pulls
the right string.
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Most of the kea parrots who try
this puzzle need some practice,
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00:11:57,010 --> 00:12:00,340
but even with the rewards
and strings swapped around,
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they learn to pull the right one
most of the time.
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If they pull a string that is
offset from the food,
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this really implies
that they have a plan.
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00:12:09,590 --> 00:12:11,120
And that's a real key,
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they're able to plan this out
mentally, work out the steps,
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00:12:15,630 --> 00:12:18,360
and employ it correctly
when they see the task.
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00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:22,070
Compared to other birds,
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00:12:22,070 --> 00:12:25,500
parrots and crows
have large brains
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in relation to their body size,
and scientists believe
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00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,880
that may be one reason
why they can work out
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00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,610
solutions to problems they don't
encounter in the wild.
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00:12:37,350 --> 00:12:39,250
Most bird brains are small.
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00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:42,290
But they have one critical area
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00:12:42,290 --> 00:12:44,920
in common with humans
and other animals
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with higher intelligence.
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00:12:48,730 --> 00:12:52,330
The executive center of the
bird's brain is right here.
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00:12:52,330 --> 00:12:54,570
And that's the part
that really allows them
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00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:57,300
to make plans and strategies
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00:12:57,300 --> 00:13:00,910
and organize ideas to use
to act upon things
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that will happen in the future.
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00:13:05,850 --> 00:13:07,710
Birds brains may be tiny,
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00:13:07,710 --> 00:13:11,850
but for their size they seem
to contain more brain cells...
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00:13:11,850 --> 00:13:14,520
Or neurons...
Than many other animals.
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00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,990
The number of neurons is a
better indication of brain power
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00:13:19,990 --> 00:13:21,990
than the physical size
of the brain.
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00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,460
And this is an interesting thing
we've learned recently
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that bird brains actually pack
a lot more neurons
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00:13:27,500 --> 00:13:31,870
into a particular area
than do mammal brains.
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00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:33,940
So even though they're
physically very small in size,
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00:13:33,940 --> 00:13:36,810
they have a lot of punch
in that size.
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00:13:39,750 --> 00:13:43,810
The intelligence of parrots
like kea
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00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:47,320
is also thought to be influenced
by where they come from.
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00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,920
In their natural habitat,
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00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:55,590
the highest mountains
of New Zealand, food is scarce.
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00:13:55,600 --> 00:14:01,400
Sometimes kea parrots can strip
berries from shrubs and bushes.
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00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,170
Other times they have to search
for insects.
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00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,940
They only find enough to eat
by being adaptable.
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00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:15,080
And that has an impact
on their brains.
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00:14:16,820 --> 00:14:19,150
Anything that involves
innovation
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00:14:19,150 --> 00:14:20,650
and trying new techniques
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00:14:20,650 --> 00:14:22,250
and having to solve problems
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00:14:22,260 --> 00:14:24,660
within the environment
to get food,
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00:14:24,660 --> 00:14:26,720
that all stimulates
a greater connection
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00:14:26,730 --> 00:14:28,730
of the neurons in one's brain.
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00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,260
So they're basically
building a strong brain
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00:14:33,270 --> 00:14:34,430
by having to explore
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00:14:34,430 --> 00:14:38,140
this complex and variable
environment.
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00:14:39,810 --> 00:14:43,770
Their explorations make
kea parrots inquisitive...
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00:14:43,780 --> 00:14:46,240
And fearless.
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00:14:46,250 --> 00:14:48,780
And they're fascinating
to watch.
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00:14:50,820 --> 00:14:52,920
Because they evolved
on New Zealand,
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00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,120
where they had few predators,
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00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,290
these birds don't seem
afraid of anything.
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00:14:59,230 --> 00:15:00,260
Until humans arrived,
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00:15:00,260 --> 00:15:02,130
there was little
to threaten them.
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00:15:02,130 --> 00:15:04,500
They could explore whatever
they wanted...
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00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:08,630
And still do.
250
00:15:11,700 --> 00:15:14,670
This is very different
from the other super-brains
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00:15:14,670 --> 00:15:16,370
of the bird world.
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00:15:16,380 --> 00:15:18,940
Ravens and the rest
of the crow family
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00:15:18,950 --> 00:15:21,680
live alongside big predators.
254
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:25,680
Like kea parrots,
255
00:15:25,690 --> 00:15:28,690
they must find food
wherever they can...
256
00:15:28,690 --> 00:15:30,890
Even if they have to steal it.
257
00:15:30,890 --> 00:15:33,760
But wolves and coyotes
are dangerous,
258
00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,060
so crows and ravens
have to be cautious.
259
00:15:37,060 --> 00:15:40,330
Crows are famous for being
afraid of new things
260
00:15:40,330 --> 00:15:41,670
that they encounter
in their environment.
261
00:15:41,670 --> 00:15:43,030
And most animals are.
262
00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:44,870
It's a good strategy.
It keeps you out of trouble.
263
00:15:44,870 --> 00:15:47,440
It pays to be wary.
264
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:48,560
But crows are famously wary.
265
00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:51,580
Compared to parrots,
266
00:15:51,580 --> 00:15:54,810
ravens and the rest of the crows
have a very different approach
267
00:15:54,810 --> 00:15:55,980
to solving problems.
268
00:15:58,750 --> 00:16:01,990
Auguste von Bayern
works with New Caledonian crows,
269
00:16:01,990 --> 00:16:05,860
considered to be one of the most
intelligent bird species.
270
00:16:07,890 --> 00:16:09,630
This is Wek.
271
00:16:09,630 --> 00:16:12,030
She's wearing a collar because
she recently lost her mate.
272
00:16:12,030 --> 00:16:13,630
Come on.
273
00:16:13,630 --> 00:16:15,900
Crows mate for life,
274
00:16:15,900 --> 00:16:20,640
and Wek started pulling out her
feathers when her partner died.
275
00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,070
She's been raised by humans
since infancy.
276
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,640
Wek was hand-raised
and that's why she has
277
00:16:26,650 --> 00:16:29,050
a very close relationship
with humans.
278
00:16:29,050 --> 00:16:35,120
In all tests she's participated
in she was one of the best birds
279
00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,520
and, yeah, she seems to be
clever
280
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,990
and enjoys to work
in our experiments.
281
00:16:46,530 --> 00:16:50,200
This experiment is designed to
compare how New Caledonian crows
282
00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,770
and kea solve problems.
283
00:16:54,740 --> 00:16:56,570
Wek represents the crows,
284
00:16:56,580 --> 00:16:59,680
and for the kea parrots,
this is Kermit.
285
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,050
A peanut.
286
00:17:03,050 --> 00:17:08,050
Their challenge is called
a multi-access box.
287
00:17:08,050 --> 00:17:09,350
As the name suggests,
288
00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:13,320
the bird is presented
with a problem...
289
00:17:13,330 --> 00:17:19,260
Food in the center of a
box, so out of reach.
290
00:17:19,270 --> 00:17:21,500
And the special thing is that
it can be accessed
291
00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:22,930
in four different ways.
292
00:17:22,940 --> 00:17:25,140
So there are four different
solutions to get the food
293
00:17:25,140 --> 00:17:26,370
out of that box.
294
00:17:28,070 --> 00:17:31,040
The birds can pull the string
to get the peanut out
295
00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:32,910
through the hole,
296
00:17:32,910 --> 00:17:36,950
drop a ball down a chute
to dislodge it,
297
00:17:36,950 --> 00:17:40,120
prod the nut with a stick,
298
00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:44,020
or open the door
and reach inside.
299
00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:48,490
This is a new approach
because usually animals
300
00:17:48,490 --> 00:17:50,090
are just tested with one problem
301
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:52,100
and there's just one way
of getting the food,
302
00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:54,930
and it's very interesting
to see how species differ
303
00:17:54,930 --> 00:17:58,100
in the way they approach
a problem
304
00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:01,170
and the way they explore
that box.
305
00:18:03,810 --> 00:18:06,480
The first time both birds
see the puzzle
306
00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,180
they make the same choice...
307
00:18:08,180 --> 00:18:10,880
They just pull the string.
308
00:18:19,090 --> 00:18:23,390
Then the researchers
take that solution away,
309
00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,330
to see what they'll do next.
310
00:18:25,330 --> 00:18:30,430
Wek uses the stick
to poke the nut free,
311
00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,470
but this isn't a surprise.
312
00:18:32,470 --> 00:18:35,970
New Caledonian crows
are very special
313
00:18:35,980 --> 00:18:39,480
because they're the only
crow species that use tools
314
00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:40,540
in the wild.
315
00:18:45,750 --> 00:18:50,750
They obtain a lot of their diet
by using tools.
316
00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,960
Kea parrots don't use tools
in the wild.
317
00:19:05,740 --> 00:19:07,710
But Kermit figures out
a solution
318
00:19:07,710 --> 00:19:09,110
with the ball and chute.
319
00:19:15,950 --> 00:19:20,220
Again, the researchers remove
the option that's been used...
320
00:19:25,020 --> 00:19:29,860
For Wek, the hole for the stick
is taped over.
321
00:19:29,860 --> 00:19:36,930
Wek has to try something else...
322
00:19:36,940 --> 00:19:40,040
so she tries the ball and chute.
323
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:45,410
With two choices left,
Kermit just opens the door,
324
00:19:45,410 --> 00:19:47,780
reaches inside
and takes the peanut.
325
00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:57,550
But Wek won't take
this approach.
326
00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,820
The last thing a crow
wants to ever do
327
00:19:59,830 --> 00:20:02,160
is stick its head in something.
328
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:03,960
They're extremely vulnerable
if they do that.
329
00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:05,600
And to stick their head
inside that box,
330
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:07,100
it could trap them in it.
331
00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:12,170
Wek still opens the door,
332
00:20:12,170 --> 00:20:15,310
but rather than put her head
inside,
333
00:20:15,310 --> 00:20:20,040
she pokes the nut free
with a stick.
334
00:20:26,150 --> 00:20:30,190
Kermit's last option
is the stick.
335
00:20:30,190 --> 00:20:33,420
His curved beak makes it
very hard to hold,
336
00:20:33,430 --> 00:20:35,990
but he still sees this
as a potential solution.
337
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,000
Even though it's not easy.
338
00:21:08,430 --> 00:21:12,800
Both birds found four different
solutions to the puzzle,
339
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,300
showing they're able to think
flexibly.
340
00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,310
The ability to think flexibly
341
00:21:22,310 --> 00:21:26,140
is certainly a hallmark of
a cognitively advanced animal.
342
00:21:26,150 --> 00:21:28,580
So rather than having
this set response
343
00:21:28,580 --> 00:21:31,850
to a stimulus every time,
as Lorenz worked upon,
344
00:21:31,850 --> 00:21:34,550
now you've got
a whole battery of responses
345
00:21:34,550 --> 00:21:37,890
that could be put into play.
346
00:21:37,890 --> 00:21:40,760
And now it's a mental task
to sort among which ones
347
00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,430
are best for a given situation.
348
00:21:47,530 --> 00:21:51,700
A bird's environment can
encourage flexible thinking.
349
00:21:51,700 --> 00:21:56,010
Like humans, birds seem to learn
new things by playing.
350
00:22:01,710 --> 00:22:03,410
The great thing about keas
351
00:22:03,420 --> 00:22:05,650
is that they are very playful
and curious.
352
00:22:05,650 --> 00:22:07,920
They are not only interested
in new things,
353
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:09,390
but are also quite daring.
354
00:22:09,390 --> 00:22:13,360
They have a notorious urge
to explore everything they see
355
00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:16,090
and they want to play and
explore the physical effects
356
00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:18,130
and consequences
of their actions.
357
00:22:21,870 --> 00:22:24,970
Researchers noticed
that kea parrots
358
00:22:24,970 --> 00:22:28,810
often try to put one object
inside another.
359
00:22:30,180 --> 00:22:33,010
So they give them
a related challenge...
360
00:22:33,010 --> 00:22:36,150
A selection of tubes
fixed to the floor.
361
00:22:36,150 --> 00:22:37,250
The younger birds
are fascinated,
362
00:22:37,250 --> 00:22:40,650
trying to put the toys
into the tubes.
363
00:22:40,650 --> 00:22:44,590
There's no food reward,
just curiosity.
364
00:22:44,590 --> 00:22:47,820
And they seem to get better
at learning which toys
365
00:22:47,830 --> 00:22:50,090
fit which tubes.
366
00:22:51,860 --> 00:22:53,430
Can they take this new knowledge
367
00:22:53,430 --> 00:22:55,830
and apply it
in a different situation?
368
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,940
A peanut stuck in a tube
is a new problem to solve.
369
00:23:06,380 --> 00:23:09,510
The younger birds
approach it first.
370
00:23:18,890 --> 00:23:23,290
This one studies the problem
from all angles.
371
00:23:38,010 --> 00:23:41,710
She picks up a block, but seems
to know that it's too big.
372
00:23:44,980 --> 00:23:49,590
She then selects the one block
that fits the tube.
373
00:23:51,260 --> 00:23:53,790
Only the birds that played
with the tubes and toys
374
00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:58,260
can solve this on their own.
375
00:23:58,260 --> 00:24:00,930
The ability to learn skills
in one context,
376
00:24:00,930 --> 00:24:02,830
then transfer them
to another context,
377
00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,370
is another thing that allows
researchers to infer
378
00:24:05,370 --> 00:24:07,540
that this is a conscious process
going on.
379
00:24:07,540 --> 00:24:11,040
That these are not just
instinctive behaviors,
380
00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:12,410
that they're learning
new things,
381
00:24:12,410 --> 00:24:14,330
and that they're able
to transfer this knowledge.
382
00:24:18,420 --> 00:24:20,350
This is a similar challenge.
383
00:24:20,350 --> 00:24:23,020
The reward is in plain sight,
384
00:24:23,020 --> 00:24:29,260
but the tube is too long,
and the food can't be reached.
385
00:24:29,260 --> 00:24:34,000
The catch can be released
by dropping a stone onto it.
386
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,800
To do that, Wek is going
to have to figure out
387
00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,900
how the catch works.
388
00:24:40,910 --> 00:24:45,540
The researchers replace the
long tube with a shorter one.
389
00:24:45,540 --> 00:24:47,240
Now Wek can reach the catch,
390
00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:53,650
and she quickly learns
how to open it with her beak.
391
00:24:53,650 --> 00:24:55,920
When the crow experiences
the short tube,
392
00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:57,490
they can release the food
393
00:24:57,490 --> 00:24:59,720
through their normal process,
peck on something.
394
00:24:59,730 --> 00:25:01,120
That's what crows typically do,
395
00:25:01,130 --> 00:25:04,730
is bite or peck or probe
with their beaks.
396
00:25:04,730 --> 00:25:06,730
So they learn the relationship...
To get food,
397
00:25:06,730 --> 00:25:09,230
that lever needs to be tripped.
398
00:25:09,230 --> 00:25:13,470
But once she's learned
how the catch works,
399
00:25:13,470 --> 00:25:15,540
can she figure out
how to release it
400
00:25:15,540 --> 00:25:17,370
when she can't use her beak?
401
00:25:24,380 --> 00:25:27,180
Wek realizes that
she can release the catch
402
00:25:27,190 --> 00:25:29,890
by dropping the stone on it.
403
00:25:29,890 --> 00:25:32,460
And using a stone to get food
in this way
404
00:25:32,460 --> 00:25:37,160
is not something a crow
would normally do in the wild.
405
00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,000
The fact that the crow
is able to take a stone
406
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,500
and move the same object
that that bird
407
00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:44,330
had previously moved
with its bill,
408
00:25:44,340 --> 00:25:47,500
implies that the crow
is thinking ahead
409
00:25:47,510 --> 00:25:50,410
and visualizing the action
that dropping the stone
410
00:25:50,410 --> 00:25:54,080
will result in the same movement
that its bill did.
411
00:26:00,850 --> 00:26:05,890
Using an unfamiliar tool to get
food is a demanding mental task,
412
00:26:05,890 --> 00:26:07,960
even for New Caledonian crows.
413
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,760
At the Max Planck Institute
in Germany,
414
00:26:12,770 --> 00:26:16,270
the researcher sets up a puzzle
to see if a crow can understand
415
00:26:16,270 --> 00:26:19,670
how to get a reward
by pulling on a hook.
416
00:26:22,980 --> 00:26:27,140
Two hooks are covered
by a plastic sheet.
417
00:26:27,150 --> 00:26:31,480
Only one of them contains a
small white container with food.
418
00:26:46,570 --> 00:26:49,570
This crow seems to get it
right away.
419
00:26:49,570 --> 00:26:51,970
But was it a lucky guess?
420
00:26:51,970 --> 00:26:53,340
Or was she using knowledge
421
00:26:53,340 --> 00:26:56,440
that comes from her
natural environment?
422
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,880
New Caledonian crows
are the only species of bird
423
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:03,510
that's been observed to use
hook tools in the wild.
424
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,720
They use the stems
of pandanus plants
425
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,490
to make kind of like
jigsaw-bladed fish hook
426
00:27:10,490 --> 00:27:13,590
sorts of tools.
427
00:27:13,590 --> 00:27:15,730
They'll shove that down a hole
and a grub will either
428
00:27:15,730 --> 00:27:18,460
grab onto it, or they'll
actually skewer the grub.
429
00:27:18,460 --> 00:27:20,660
They make hooks that turn
to the left or to the right.
430
00:27:20,670 --> 00:27:22,570
They use them appropriately.
431
00:27:25,940 --> 00:27:27,970
What's interesting here
is that it seems
432
00:27:27,970 --> 00:27:29,870
like they are able
to bring this skill
433
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,740
that they use in the wild
normally into a lab setting
434
00:27:33,750 --> 00:27:35,150
that's completely unlike
the environment
435
00:27:35,150 --> 00:27:36,580
that they normally use it in.
436
00:27:36,580 --> 00:27:38,880
To a hook that isn't one
that they've made themselves,
437
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,290
that in fact looks nothing like
the hooks they make themselves.
438
00:27:42,290 --> 00:27:43,620
But is still hook-shaped.
439
00:27:43,620 --> 00:27:44,790
And they clearly understand
440
00:27:44,790 --> 00:27:46,590
the repercussions
of that hook shape.
441
00:27:49,290 --> 00:27:52,500
Crows are not only good
at solving problems,
442
00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:56,530
they're also good at negotiating
complex sets of relationships,
443
00:27:56,540 --> 00:28:01,170
because they live
in large groups.
444
00:28:01,170 --> 00:28:04,510
Many scientists believe that
forming social relationships
445
00:28:04,510 --> 00:28:05,680
within big groups
446
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,210
helps drive the intelligence
of animals
447
00:28:08,210 --> 00:28:10,680
like chimps and dolphins.
448
00:28:13,350 --> 00:28:17,120
Can this also be true for birds?
449
00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:18,820
Living in a social group
is hard.
450
00:28:18,820 --> 00:28:20,390
You have to remember alliances.
451
00:28:20,390 --> 00:28:22,490
You have to remember
friendships.
452
00:28:22,490 --> 00:28:24,930
And so there's a hypothesis,
453
00:28:24,930 --> 00:28:26,560
the social intelligence
hypothesis,
454
00:28:26,570 --> 00:28:28,730
that proposes that
the selective pressures
455
00:28:28,730 --> 00:28:30,070
of living in these groups,
456
00:28:30,070 --> 00:28:31,530
of having to meet
all these challenges,
457
00:28:31,540 --> 00:28:34,600
has favored the evolution
of a brain
458
00:28:34,610 --> 00:28:36,970
that can do more complex
cognitive processing.
459
00:28:39,950 --> 00:28:43,250
But what happens
in birds' social groups?
460
00:28:43,250 --> 00:28:45,050
Do they learn from each other?
461
00:28:47,250 --> 00:28:50,590
Valerie Dufour
used to study great apes.
462
00:28:50,590 --> 00:28:53,660
Now she applies some of the same
methods to studying rooks,
463
00:28:53,660 --> 00:28:55,460
who are members
of the crow family.
464
00:28:59,330 --> 00:29:02,800
She watches how they interact
with each other
465
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,370
and analyzes the results.
466
00:29:07,370 --> 00:29:12,380
Valerie found a social network
as complex as those seen
467
00:29:12,380 --> 00:29:14,780
in groups of monkeys
and other primates,
468
00:29:14,780 --> 00:29:19,680
with a clear structure
and close friendships.
469
00:29:19,690 --> 00:29:21,480
But how does this
social structure
470
00:29:21,490 --> 00:29:24,290
relate to intelligence?
471
00:29:24,290 --> 00:29:29,390
Valerie puts a group of rooks to
a test she's used with primates.
472
00:29:29,390 --> 00:29:34,160
This box is... a little set up
that's created to see
473
00:29:34,170 --> 00:29:38,800
whether birds can learn
from watching each other, okay?
474
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,410
So there's two ways
to open that box.
475
00:29:42,410 --> 00:29:45,840
You can either pull
on the little rope there.
476
00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:47,140
And in that case,
477
00:29:47,150 --> 00:29:50,010
just lift the ball
and they can pick up the reward
478
00:29:50,020 --> 00:29:51,650
that's in there.
479
00:29:51,650 --> 00:29:55,890
Or, you can just simply
480
00:29:55,890 --> 00:29:58,490
push on that box
and in that case,
481
00:29:58,490 --> 00:30:01,990
you just need to put the beak
through and pick up the reward.
482
00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:08,330
One bird is trained
to pull the ball,
483
00:30:08,330 --> 00:30:11,300
and half the rooks
are allowed to watch.
484
00:30:13,810 --> 00:30:15,270
When this group
tries the puzzle,
485
00:30:15,270 --> 00:30:19,380
they all do the same thing,
and pull the ball.
486
00:30:22,710 --> 00:30:27,080
Meanwhile, the other half
are watching a bird
487
00:30:27,090 --> 00:30:32,920
trained to use the other
solution... to push the ball.
488
00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,190
And when these birds
try the puzzle,
489
00:30:36,190 --> 00:30:41,500
they repeat what they saw...
They push the ball.
490
00:30:41,500 --> 00:30:46,240
This suggests these rooks
learned how to solve the puzzle
491
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,970
by watching another bird.
492
00:30:48,970 --> 00:30:51,670
This is called social learning,
493
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:55,280
and it's considered
very high-level thinking.
494
00:30:55,280 --> 00:31:00,280
It's certainly more advanced
than an imprinted behavior.
495
00:31:00,290 --> 00:31:02,290
It's also much more advanced
than a behavior that you learn
496
00:31:02,290 --> 00:31:04,450
by individual trial and error.
497
00:31:04,460 --> 00:31:08,120
In this case, you're having to
watch others perform a behavior,
498
00:31:08,130 --> 00:31:09,160
and then replicate that.
499
00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,230
It's new and it's exciting
500
00:31:14,230 --> 00:31:16,800
because it's something
we've known in other species
501
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,800
like in primates, for example.
502
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,870
Nobody would have guessed
about the rooks or the crows
503
00:31:22,870 --> 00:31:24,340
or the ravens.
504
00:31:24,340 --> 00:31:26,040
Nobody would have been able
to say, "Yes, I expect them
505
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,210
to be able to do that";
we had no idea.
506
00:31:29,980 --> 00:31:34,380
Social learning in crows
and parrots could be a result
507
00:31:34,390 --> 00:31:35,550
of their larger brains.
508
00:31:37,890 --> 00:31:41,120
But what about birds
with smaller brains...
509
00:31:41,130 --> 00:31:42,430
Like geese?
510
00:31:46,430 --> 00:31:50,730
In the same place that
Konrad Lorenz studied his geese,
511
00:31:50,740 --> 00:31:54,770
Isabella Schieber
of the University of Vienna
512
00:31:54,770 --> 00:31:57,210
is exploring whether
there's more to the goose mind
513
00:31:57,210 --> 00:31:58,740
than basic instinct.
514
00:32:00,310 --> 00:32:03,550
Geese live in
a clear social hierarchy.
515
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,120
And this experiment
tests whether
516
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:09,690
their natural pecking order
helps them figure out
517
00:32:09,690 --> 00:32:13,390
other relationships.
518
00:32:16,630 --> 00:32:19,460
Isabella arranges
seven cards in a row
519
00:32:19,460 --> 00:32:22,030
and assigns a value
to each one...
520
00:32:22,030 --> 00:32:26,970
Blue being the highest,
and black the lowest.
521
00:32:28,510 --> 00:32:31,340
The geese don't see
the complete row,
522
00:32:31,340 --> 00:32:35,210
they only see one pair
at a time.
523
00:32:35,210 --> 00:32:37,780
In the experiment, green
is higher than yellow,
524
00:32:37,780 --> 00:32:43,920
so under the green
card is a treat
525
00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,860
and the goose learns this pair.
526
00:32:48,060 --> 00:32:50,530
But yellow is higher
than purple,
527
00:32:50,530 --> 00:32:54,900
so on the next round, the reward
is under the yellow card.
528
00:32:58,970 --> 00:33:02,210
Now he's been taught that green
is higher than yellow,
529
00:33:02,210 --> 00:33:06,440
and that yellow, in turn,
is higher than purple.
530
00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:09,210
Next, purple is higher
than red...
531
00:33:09,210 --> 00:33:13,850
So now purple has the treat,
532
00:33:13,850 --> 00:33:15,820
and so on down the row.
533
00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:22,390
Once the geese have learned the
relative value of all the cards,
534
00:33:22,390 --> 00:33:26,000
the next stage is to see
if they can apply this knowledge
535
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,960
to a harder challenge.
536
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:36,010
They're shown an entirely new
set of pairs,
537
00:33:36,010 --> 00:33:38,710
with no food rewards.
538
00:33:42,550 --> 00:33:47,250
Over and over, the geese choose
the higher value card,
539
00:33:47,250 --> 00:33:50,920
even though they never saw
the entire row all at one time.
540
00:33:55,790 --> 00:33:57,960
The ability to rank objects
541
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,600
in a hierarchy is, it's a form
of reasoning called inference,
542
00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:02,830
transitive inference.
543
00:34:02,830 --> 00:34:06,270
And it was formerly thought
that only apes
544
00:34:06,270 --> 00:34:09,840
and very sophisticated animals
could do this.
545
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:13,580
So knowing that card A
is greater than card B,
546
00:34:13,580 --> 00:34:17,010
and that card B
is greater than card C,
547
00:34:17,020 --> 00:34:20,880
you might be able to infer
A is greater than C.
548
00:34:20,890 --> 00:34:23,220
Well, and these birds
obviously did that.
549
00:34:25,490 --> 00:34:27,160
It's clear that geese,
550
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:31,630
despite their small brains,
understand hierarchies.
551
00:34:31,630 --> 00:34:37,130
And in their social groups,
they also seem to cooperate.
552
00:34:38,740 --> 00:34:42,810
When they fly in formation,
they appear to work together,
553
00:34:42,810 --> 00:34:46,880
whether it's intentional or not.
554
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,150
When geese fly in formation,
they gain aerodynamic benefits,
555
00:34:50,150 --> 00:34:54,580
by riding the vortex of air
off of each other's wingtips.
556
00:34:54,590 --> 00:34:56,650
There's a bit of extra lift
there that they gain.
557
00:34:59,390 --> 00:35:02,530
So they do switch positions
as they're flying,
558
00:35:02,530 --> 00:35:04,370
and get some assist
from the other individuals.
559
00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:16,710
So can birds actually cooperate
to solve problems?
560
00:35:20,850 --> 00:35:23,750
Like geese, kea parrots
live in social groups
561
00:35:23,750 --> 00:35:25,550
with complex relationships.
562
00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,060
This experiment tests
whether they can work together
563
00:35:32,060 --> 00:35:34,220
as a group.
564
00:35:34,230 --> 00:35:38,330
No one bird can lift the lid
off the food box by itself.
565
00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,940
But if one bird sits
on the other end of the see-saw,
566
00:35:46,940 --> 00:35:50,740
the lid rises
and the rest get to feed.
567
00:35:56,680 --> 00:36:02,850
After a while, this kea
parrot hops off the seat,
568
00:36:02,850 --> 00:36:04,290
and another takes its place.
569
00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:23,540
Eventually,
each bird gets to eat.
570
00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:28,340
That's a clear demonstration
of cooperation,
571
00:36:28,350 --> 00:36:31,480
where some individuals
are up there opening the lid,
572
00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:32,450
and others are feeding.
573
00:36:32,450 --> 00:36:33,880
And then they switch off.
574
00:36:33,890 --> 00:36:36,590
I think it shows they're all
working to the same goal.
575
00:36:36,590 --> 00:36:38,450
They get to eat.
576
00:36:38,460 --> 00:36:41,120
They're using the social group
577
00:36:41,130 --> 00:36:43,830
to attain
their individual goals here.
578
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:49,570
This feat of cooperation
suggests that these birds
579
00:36:49,570 --> 00:36:53,370
may be communicating
with each other in some way.
580
00:36:56,270 --> 00:37:00,380
But can a bird communicate
with a human?
581
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,350
Jackdaws are members
of the crow family
582
00:37:04,350 --> 00:37:07,480
with a pair
of very unusual eyes.
583
00:37:09,690 --> 00:37:11,150
Jackdaw eyes
are quite conspicuous.
584
00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,060
They are light on the outside
585
00:37:13,060 --> 00:37:14,220
and dark in the middle,
586
00:37:14,230 --> 00:37:16,460
so they are rather similar
to our own eyes.
587
00:37:16,460 --> 00:37:21,630
So we were interested in testing
how responsive jackdaws were
588
00:37:21,630 --> 00:37:24,100
to communicative eye signals.
589
00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:28,970
This test was designed
for a jackdaw named Dhuli.
590
00:37:30,110 --> 00:37:33,510
Food is hidden
under one of two cups.
591
00:37:33,510 --> 00:37:37,150
Then Auguste gives Dhuli
a very subtle clue...
592
00:37:37,150 --> 00:37:41,950
She just looks
at the correct cup.
593
00:37:41,950 --> 00:37:44,890
Dhuli has to read Auguste's
eye movements
594
00:37:44,890 --> 00:37:47,290
in order to choose
the right cup.
595
00:37:47,290 --> 00:37:49,430
The gaze experiments
are interesting
596
00:37:49,430 --> 00:37:50,730
on several dimensions.
597
00:37:50,730 --> 00:37:53,960
One, they show that a bird
is very attentive
598
00:37:53,970 --> 00:37:56,200
to the gaze of another animal,
another species.
599
00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:57,870
In this case,
that it's bonded with the human.
600
00:37:57,870 --> 00:38:01,700
Dhuli understands
that Auguste's eye signals
601
00:38:01,710 --> 00:38:05,140
are directing her to the cup
with food under it.
602
00:38:05,140 --> 00:38:08,040
She's able to grasp
this form of communication.
603
00:38:08,050 --> 00:38:10,710
But she also seems to be
demonstrating
604
00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:12,180
another cognitive ability.
605
00:38:12,180 --> 00:38:15,620
She appears to know
there's food under the cup
606
00:38:15,620 --> 00:38:18,290
even though she can't see it.
607
00:38:18,290 --> 00:38:21,420
This is called
object permanency.
608
00:38:21,430 --> 00:38:23,290
Object permanency is a concept
609
00:38:23,290 --> 00:38:25,290
that humans develop when they're
three or four years old.
610
00:38:25,300 --> 00:38:28,330
They can understand that
a hidden object is still there.
611
00:38:28,330 --> 00:38:32,270
And so for birds to be able
to demonstrate this
612
00:38:32,270 --> 00:38:35,200
has been profound, and,
again, suggests to us
613
00:38:35,210 --> 00:38:38,310
that these birds
have those abilities
614
00:38:38,310 --> 00:38:40,580
that a young human would too.
615
00:38:40,580 --> 00:38:46,720
But some tests are really hard...
Even for young humans.
616
00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:51,220
Like this one
involving chocolates.
617
00:38:51,220 --> 00:38:54,790
These children
are given one chocolate
618
00:38:54,790 --> 00:38:56,930
and their mothers explain
that they can either
619
00:38:56,930 --> 00:39:00,060
eat that chocolate now,
or not eat it,
620
00:39:00,060 --> 00:39:05,100
wait for five minutes and be
rewarded with two chocolates.
621
00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:13,340
Understanding a trade-off
and planning for the future
622
00:39:13,340 --> 00:39:14,640
is a kind of reasoning
623
00:39:14,650 --> 00:39:17,050
that doesn't develop in children
624
00:39:17,050 --> 00:39:19,550
until they're
three or four years old.
625
00:39:19,550 --> 00:39:24,120
So it's very hard
for them to wait.
626
00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:28,820
For those that try to wait,
five minutes is a long time
627
00:39:28,830 --> 00:39:31,060
with a chocolate
right in front of them.
628
00:39:35,500 --> 00:39:38,870
They try ignoring it.
629
00:39:38,870 --> 00:39:42,910
Or distracting themselves.
630
00:39:50,180 --> 00:39:53,050
Or even bending the rules.
631
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,100
Don't eat the chocolate.
632
00:40:14,110 --> 00:40:20,480
At last, the time is
up, two chocolates.
633
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,810
I... watch what I can do.
634
00:40:24,820 --> 00:40:27,620
Being able to delay
gratification...
635
00:40:27,620 --> 00:40:30,850
Trade something now for
something better in the future...
636
00:40:30,860 --> 00:40:32,860
Is a key developmental milestone
in children.
637
00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:40,930
But can a raven
do something similar?
638
00:40:42,900 --> 00:40:44,330
This is Rumo.
639
00:40:44,340 --> 00:40:47,670
He likes bread,
but he prefers cheese.
640
00:40:50,510 --> 00:40:53,740
Can he learn to wait
for the treat he likes better?
641
00:40:55,650 --> 00:40:58,210
It's called
a delayed exchange test.
642
00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:02,420
The exchange is a little bit
complicated
643
00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:04,950
because it involves
two main difficulties.
644
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,990
First, you have something
in your possession,
645
00:41:07,990 --> 00:41:09,630
so you possess something.
646
00:41:09,630 --> 00:41:11,060
It might be valuable,
647
00:41:11,060 --> 00:41:12,290
so obviously you want
to keep it.
648
00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:15,700
And you have to accept
to lose it
649
00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:18,830
to get something better
in return,
650
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:20,600
and you have to wait
a little bit.
651
00:41:20,610 --> 00:41:21,770
And that's very difficult.
652
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:26,780
First, Rumo is taught
that he can trade his bread
653
00:41:26,780 --> 00:41:28,780
for some cheese.
654
00:41:28,780 --> 00:41:30,150
But then, he has to wait.
655
00:41:34,490 --> 00:41:36,390
Sometimes Rumo drops the bread,
656
00:41:36,390 --> 00:41:39,220
perhaps as a way
to make waiting easier.
657
00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,870
And the more Rumo
likes a particular food,
658
00:41:53,870 --> 00:41:55,540
the longer he will wait.
659
00:41:59,510 --> 00:42:02,750
Sometimes he'll go
for several minutes
660
00:42:02,750 --> 00:42:04,510
before he exchanges bread
for cheese.
661
00:42:10,620 --> 00:42:13,720
But if the food on offer
is one he doesn't like...
662
00:42:13,730 --> 00:42:16,890
Like a grape... he won't wait.
663
00:42:16,890 --> 00:42:20,500
He just eats the bread.
664
00:42:20,500 --> 00:42:24,830
Mastering a delayed exchange
had been documented in chimps,
665
00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:29,140
but never before in crows.
666
00:42:29,140 --> 00:42:32,010
The ability of these animals to
wait up to five or six minutes
667
00:42:32,010 --> 00:42:34,810
implies a couple of things.
668
00:42:34,810 --> 00:42:36,450
One, they're making a tradeoff,
669
00:42:36,450 --> 00:42:38,810
a very sophisticated
calculation.
670
00:42:38,820 --> 00:42:40,550
"I'm going to get
something better if I wait
671
00:42:40,550 --> 00:42:41,950
this amount of time."
672
00:42:41,950 --> 00:42:44,320
And that's a difficult
mental process.
673
00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:46,460
It clearly shows
they're planning ahead,
674
00:42:46,460 --> 00:42:48,960
because they're calculating
that tradeoff.
675
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,630
Another way many birds
plan ahead
676
00:42:53,630 --> 00:42:56,600
is that when they have
more food than they can eat,
677
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,800
they hide it
and return to it later.
678
00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:04,340
Rumo does the same...
As do most crows.
679
00:43:04,340 --> 00:43:06,440
Many crows and many jays...
680
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,040
Which are also members
of the crow family...
681
00:43:08,050 --> 00:43:09,280
Hide food.
682
00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:10,480
And they come back to it later.
683
00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:11,680
It's called caching.
684
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:13,180
And it's a really complicated
behavior,
685
00:43:13,180 --> 00:43:14,450
and it's really challenging,
686
00:43:14,450 --> 00:43:16,190
because they have to remember
the locations
687
00:43:16,190 --> 00:43:19,590
of dozens or hundreds of spots
where they've hidden food.
688
00:43:19,590 --> 00:43:21,520
And they might even
have to remember
689
00:43:21,530 --> 00:43:24,190
things like whether another
individual was watching them
690
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:25,430
when they hid it,
691
00:43:25,430 --> 00:43:27,300
and whether another individual
might steal it.
692
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,240
Ravens will also hide things
that they can't eat... like toys.
693
00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:48,550
So can they learn
if a person watching them
694
00:43:48,550 --> 00:43:50,420
is likely to steal
their treasure?
695
00:43:53,220 --> 00:43:57,130
Two researchers watch the ravens
hide their toys.
696
00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,970
And the ravens know
they're being watched.
697
00:44:09,540 --> 00:44:13,440
One of the researchers
goes into the aviary,
698
00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,080
in full view of the raven.
699
00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:18,350
She approaches the hiding place.
700
00:44:21,790 --> 00:44:27,660
She looks at the toy,
but leaves it where it is.
701
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:38,000
The second researcher
goes into the aviary,
702
00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:40,100
but she is a thief.
703
00:44:56,190 --> 00:45:00,560
The next time
the ravens are given food,
704
00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:03,460
they're watched
by the honest researcher,
705
00:45:03,460 --> 00:45:07,130
and they hide the food
in plain view.
706
00:45:08,870 --> 00:45:13,070
But when the thief watches them,
707
00:45:13,070 --> 00:45:14,300
the ravens hide their food
708
00:45:14,310 --> 00:45:17,240
in a part of the aviary
out of her sight.
709
00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:19,440
I think, in their brain,
they are learning
710
00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:22,110
the association between
one individual
711
00:45:22,110 --> 00:45:23,780
and a benign task, let's say,
712
00:45:23,780 --> 00:45:25,780
they don't bother the cache.
They don't take it.
713
00:45:25,780 --> 00:45:27,850
And with another individual,
they're learning
714
00:45:27,850 --> 00:45:29,690
that this is
a dangerous individual.
715
00:45:29,690 --> 00:45:33,960
It takes things of mine.
716
00:45:36,290 --> 00:45:39,300
John Marzluff has done
his own experiments
717
00:45:39,300 --> 00:45:41,200
to see if crows can recognize
718
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,430
the face of a person
who's a threat.
719
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,300
He and his team at the
University of Washington
720
00:45:47,310 --> 00:45:50,610
went undercover
to test the birds' reactions
721
00:45:50,610 --> 00:45:53,440
to being caught and tagged.
722
00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:56,050
When we first captured birds
we were wearing this mask.
723
00:45:56,050 --> 00:45:58,450
So the birds that were immobile
under a net
724
00:45:58,450 --> 00:46:01,220
saw this person coming to them,
grabbing them,
725
00:46:01,220 --> 00:46:03,620
stretching out their wings
to measure them,
726
00:46:03,620 --> 00:46:06,860
applying rings to their legs
to identify them,
727
00:46:06,860 --> 00:46:08,660
and then letting them go.
728
00:46:08,660 --> 00:46:14,160
Crows don't like being caught,
even when they're unharmed.
729
00:46:14,170 --> 00:46:16,700
So the question was
would they remember
730
00:46:16,700 --> 00:46:18,930
that the masked man
was a threat?
731
00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:22,240
A few days
after the initial tagging,
732
00:46:22,240 --> 00:46:25,840
Marzluff walked across
the campus again.
733
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,010
He kept the mask on,
but he left the crows alone,
734
00:46:29,010 --> 00:46:31,650
to see if he'd get any response.
735
00:46:34,990 --> 00:46:36,250
It was very striking.
736
00:46:36,250 --> 00:46:38,250
The first time
after we did this experiment,
737
00:46:38,260 --> 00:46:40,620
and we walked
with the caveman mask,
738
00:46:40,620 --> 00:46:44,230
the birds immediately
responded to that.
739
00:46:45,530 --> 00:46:46,900
They scolded with harsh calls
740
00:46:46,900 --> 00:46:48,700
that are indicative
of a predator.
741
00:46:51,770 --> 00:46:53,040
And they gathered around us.
742
00:46:53,040 --> 00:46:54,100
They attracted others in.
743
00:46:54,110 --> 00:46:56,110
And they would even
dive down at us.
744
00:46:59,140 --> 00:47:01,880
Marzluff discovered
that the crows
745
00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:03,380
were somehow telling each other
746
00:47:03,380 --> 00:47:06,020
that the person in the
caveman mask was dangerous.
747
00:47:10,090 --> 00:47:12,720
And what's more amazing,
even though the team
748
00:47:12,720 --> 00:47:15,520
never again caught crows
with the mask on,
749
00:47:15,530 --> 00:47:17,460
that reaction has been
passed down
750
00:47:17,460 --> 00:47:21,730
through several generations.
751
00:47:21,730 --> 00:47:24,200
It's been 11 years
since we caught seven birds
752
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:26,300
on our campus with this mask.
753
00:47:26,300 --> 00:47:29,670
And nearly half of all the birds
we encounter on a given day
754
00:47:29,670 --> 00:47:31,140
respond strongly to that face.
755
00:47:33,140 --> 00:47:34,940
Even though they weren't even
born at the time
756
00:47:34,950 --> 00:47:36,480
we first did our capture.
757
00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:40,050
The only experience they have
with that caveman is hearsay.
758
00:47:42,090 --> 00:47:46,220
Now, Marzluff is studying
another remarkable behavior.
759
00:47:46,220 --> 00:47:49,530
It's called a crow funeral.
760
00:47:49,530 --> 00:47:53,130
His team puts a decoy
that looks like a dead crow
761
00:47:53,130 --> 00:47:55,400
on the sidewalk,
762
00:47:57,740 --> 00:48:00,570
and within just a few minutes,
763
00:48:00,570 --> 00:48:03,810
the trees are filled
with screeching crows.
764
00:48:09,180 --> 00:48:12,410
Marzluff showed the crows
a similar decoy in the lab
765
00:48:12,420 --> 00:48:14,120
and brain scans reveal
766
00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:16,550
that they're activating
their memory centers.
767
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:24,260
But are these memories
also linked to emotion?
768
00:48:25,930 --> 00:48:28,230
I think birds do feel emotion.
769
00:48:28,230 --> 00:48:30,800
Maybe not exactly like we do.
770
00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:35,340
But they've got
the parts of the brain
771
00:48:35,340 --> 00:48:39,110
that cause us to feel calm
or anxious or fearful.
772
00:48:39,110 --> 00:48:40,840
And those feelings in us
773
00:48:40,850 --> 00:48:44,010
are motivated by chemicals
that are released in the brain.
774
00:48:44,010 --> 00:48:45,680
And birds have those
same chemicals.
775
00:48:48,190 --> 00:48:49,950
So I think it would be unusual
if they don't.
776
00:48:53,490 --> 00:48:56,760
Emotion in birds
is being studied
777
00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:00,100
by scientists around the world.
778
00:49:00,100 --> 00:49:03,370
In one example, researchers
noticed that a distressed raven
779
00:49:03,370 --> 00:49:06,600
appears to be comforted
by a close friend.
780
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:10,210
This raises the possibility
781
00:49:10,210 --> 00:49:15,410
that ravens might understand
what other ravens are feeling.
782
00:49:15,410 --> 00:49:18,180
This is called theory of mind,
783
00:49:18,180 --> 00:49:20,380
and it might be
the next frontier
784
00:49:20,380 --> 00:49:23,520
in understanding
how birds think.
785
00:49:25,690 --> 00:49:30,860
Theory of mind is the hypothesis
that animals are capable
786
00:49:30,860 --> 00:49:32,660
of mentally putting themselves
787
00:49:32,660 --> 00:49:35,030
in the perspective
of other animals.
788
00:49:35,030 --> 00:49:36,100
Humans can do this.
789
00:49:36,100 --> 00:49:37,270
We empathize with each other.
790
00:49:37,270 --> 00:49:39,740
Can birds do this?
791
00:49:39,740 --> 00:49:42,540
Do birds have theory of mind?
792
00:49:43,910 --> 00:49:46,380
It's hard to know whether birds
feel emotions
793
00:49:46,380 --> 00:49:47,680
in the same way that people do,
794
00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:49,780
because we can't ask them
how they're feeling.
795
00:49:49,780 --> 00:49:53,320
But we know that birds
get upset.
796
00:49:53,320 --> 00:49:56,390
We know that they're happy.
797
00:49:56,390 --> 00:49:59,190
And so the simplest explanation
is that their emotions
798
00:49:59,190 --> 00:50:00,920
are probably quite similar
to ours.
799
00:50:04,060 --> 00:50:07,860
Lloyd Buck would agree
with that.
800
00:50:07,870 --> 00:50:09,830
When Lloyd's been away
for a few days,
801
00:50:09,830 --> 00:50:12,470
Bran is excited to see him back.
802
00:50:12,470 --> 00:50:15,300
Then he gets angry with Lloyd.
803
00:50:15,310 --> 00:50:17,640
Yes, you're cross, aren't you,
because I left you?
804
00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:18,870
I left you, eh?
805
00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:22,280
You haven't seen me
for two days, have you?
806
00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:24,780
You haven't seen me
for two days and you're angry.
807
00:50:26,980 --> 00:50:31,150
But eventually Bran
takes hold of Lloyd's finger
808
00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,390
and won't let go.
809
00:50:33,390 --> 00:50:35,660
We've made up now,
we're friends again, eh?
810
00:50:35,660 --> 00:50:37,290
We're friends again.
811
00:50:37,290 --> 00:50:41,660
This can sometimes go on
for an hour before Bran lets go.
812
00:50:41,670 --> 00:50:43,800
You've been a good boy.
813
00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:46,200
Finally, Lloyd is forgiven.
814
00:50:48,410 --> 00:50:50,370
Calming down now, yeah?
815
00:50:50,370 --> 00:50:51,370
Yes?
816
00:50:53,610 --> 00:50:56,380
Scientists once believed
817
00:50:56,380 --> 00:51:00,250
that birds were driven
by pure instinct.
818
00:51:00,250 --> 00:51:02,550
Now it's clear
that at least some species
819
00:51:02,550 --> 00:51:04,890
are not only intelligent,
820
00:51:04,890 --> 00:51:08,690
but may be emotional too.
821
00:51:08,690 --> 00:51:14,060
Just how much their
minds resemble our own
822
00:51:14,060 --> 00:51:16,400
is the next question to explore.
823
00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:18,630
You can explain
a lot of animals' actions
824
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:19,940
through instinctive behaviors
825
00:51:19,940 --> 00:51:23,670
that don't require
a lot of conscious thinking.
826
00:51:23,670 --> 00:51:25,270
But now it's become harder
and harder
827
00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:27,110
to ignore the evidence
that birds
828
00:51:27,110 --> 00:51:30,980
are capable of solving problems,
829
00:51:30,980 --> 00:51:36,220
of making friendships,
of learning,
830
00:51:36,220 --> 00:51:37,520
of putting themselves
831
00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:40,320
into the experiences
of other animals.
832
00:51:42,830 --> 00:51:44,430
And I think we're starting
to realize
833
00:51:44,430 --> 00:51:46,360
that the simplest explanation
may not be
834
00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:49,460
that they're automatons.
835
00:51:49,470 --> 00:51:52,300
The simplest explanation may be
that they're seeing the world
836
00:51:52,300 --> 00:51:54,070
in much the same way that we do.
837
00:52:18,750 --> 00:52:21,350
This "NOVA" program
is available on DVD.
838
00:52:21,350 --> 00:52:26,790
To order, visit shopPBS.org
or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
839
00:52:26,790 --> 00:52:29,990
"NOVA" is also available
for download on iTunes.
66442
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