Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study

Crows have their own version of the human cerebral cortex.

Credit: Amarnath Tade/ Unsplash
  • Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter.
  • New research observes them thinking about what they've just seen and associating it with an appropriate response.
  • A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's.
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    Woodpecker wars are intense and even draw a crowd

    Acorn woodpecker battles over prized territory are serious business.

    Credit: Steve Byland/Shutterstock
    • Acorn woodpeckers are highly socialized birds who are, let's say, unusual.
    • Small teams of acorn woodpeckers battle for days over coveted territory.
    • Up to 30 spectators attend the battles, leaving their own territories unattended to do so.
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    You’re not going far from home – and neither are the animals you spy out your window

    Maybe you've been wondering if you're seeing one persistent squirrel or a rotating cast of characters.

    Photo by Toimetaja tõlkebüroo on Unsplash

    Watching the wildlife outside your window can boost your mental well-being, and it's something lots of people have been doing a lot more of lately.

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    Flamingos form long-term friendships and "cliques"

    These pink feathered folk form complex social networks and are choosy about who they spend their time with, according to a new study.

    Photo Credit: Shutterstock
    • A five-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter shows that flamingos are choosy about who they spend their time with.
    • Flamingo friendships are made and maintained long-term due to preference rather than loose, randomly made connections.
    • In 2009, Madison, Wisconsin, named the plastic pink flamingo the city's official bird.
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    Scientists teach birds new songs by implanting them with false memories

    Groundbreaking neurological research on songbirds provides insight on human learned behavior and speech.

    Photo credit: AlexandraPhotos / Moment via Getty Images
    • Scientists recently implanted a false memory into the brains of young zebra finches, teaching them a melody they had never heard before.
    • By stimulating certain neural circuits in the male birds' brains, researchers taught them courtship songs bypassing the lessons of an adult tutor.
    • Scientists hope this research expands our knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
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