We have known for a long time that some birds are very smart, such as parrots and macaws; however it is now actually being proven that many other birds (including chickens) are actually good thinkers, and quite intelligent. Parrots have been shown to have the reasoning abilities of a 3-5 year old child, and there are articles of both parrots and parakeets carrying on actual conversations, and not just mimicking words.
One of the smartest birds is the common crow, and its larger cousin, the raven. These birds have long been kept as house pets, and some have even been taught to talk. Here is a short video about a man who works with ravens, and it shows their amazing ability to reason out the answer to a problem, and then accomplish what they needed to do.
Yes Ravens are very smart. Years ago I lived in a small mobil home east of Wallace Idaho at the end of the frontage road. Every once in awhile we would catch mice in traps and throw them out into the patch of weeds we called our yard. There were a couple Ravens who would come and grab the mice for their dinner.
I decided that when I cleaned the refrigerator out, instead of putting the old food in the garbage, I would take it across the road and feild to the railroad tracks that were no longer in use and dump it. The Ravens saw that and would come and get the food. They didn't care how stale it was- it meant they didn't have to hunt for their dinner. After awhile there was only one Raven, something had happened to its mate. He would come and eat as usual, but if there was no food out there for him, he would come and do a "tap dance" on the roof of our trailer- as if to say.."Hey don't you think it is time you threw me out some food?" He knew how to get me to feed him-smart little bugger!
What an awesome story, Judy ! ! I can just imagine that raven flying up to your trailer and hopping around on the roof to let you know that he was hungry and wanted you to feed him.
My ex-husband lived out in the country, and he had some chickens, and usually they would roost out in his open shop, and up in the rafters. They were part Banty, so they had no problems flying up that high to roost at night. In the mornings when he got up, he would throw them out some chicken scratch, or if he had bread scraps or something else they would eat, then he fed them that, too.
My daughter and I were flying out to her place in Virginia, and leaving my Mazda there while I was gone, so we spent the night in the travel trailer out back. Way early in the morning, that rooster started crowing, and when I looked, I could see that he was perched on an old metal chair back that was right outside my ex's bedroom window, and leaning as far towards that window as possible. That rooster was doing his best to wake up my ex, so he could have his breakfast ! !
I still don't know how he knew which window to crow next to though....
