It has been a very (very, very) long time since I last sat down to write. I wish I had a valid excuse. The truth is, I have finally joined the real world and got my first grown-up, full-time job. This involves starring at a computer screen for 8 hours of the day and, unfortunately, when 5 o’clock strikes, I don’t want to see another screen until at least 9 am the following morning.
I have had a strong word with myself time and time again, each time promising that my next day off would finally be the day I get blogging again. However, the normal tasks of everyday life, and ITV3’s insistence on playing re-runs of Agatha Christie’s on Sundays, all keep getting in the way.
BUT enough is enough. It’s approaching a year since I wrote regularly and that is, quite frankly, a little embarrassing. So, I’m here at the dining room table, trying hard not to ignore my laptop in favour of starring at my cat chasing birds in the garden. As clever and sneaky as Holly the cat may be, she is continuously outsmarted (and outmanoeuvred) by her feathered prey.
There is no denying that birds are a particularly clever set of individuals. There are a few examples of particularly cunning birds I have come across that I wanted to share. It’s examples like these that make me really wonder how anyone can be so sure that animals do not have a conscious ability to think. Let’s start with my sister’s favourite…
Herons
A Black-crowned night Heron, called Hank, to be more precise. We may take it for granted during our everyday lives but for evolutionists tool-use or, more generally, using a physical object to achieve a goal, is considered to be a bit of a big deal. Millions of years ago, when our ancestors first roamed the earth, using tools was a big evolutionary step. Whilst their tools were extremely basic compared to what we are used to today, looking at a seemingly ordinary object and seeing its potential to act as a spear or an axe has been interpreted as a sign of intelligence.
For a long while, we thought we were the only animals intelligent enough to make use of tools but this is definitely not the case. There are now countless extraordinary examples of animals using objects to reach their desired goal. The corvids, which includes birds such as ravens and crows, are particularly nifty tool users but it’s Hank the heron who’s definitely top of the class for me.
Hank has found an interesting way of using an object to help him catch his favourite fishy suppers. He lives on a golf course in Hawaii (very nice, for Hank), where visitors stand at the lake throwing scraps of bread for the ducks. Hank has been seen to steal a sneaky share of this bread, but he doesn’t eat it. He can be seen standing at the edge of the lake, dropping his bready bait and waiting patiently for the fish to flock. Hank noticed that it’s not just the ducks that enjoy this free meal; the fish in the lake are drawn to the surface to have a nibble as well. Unfortunately, for the fish, when they reach the surface, it’s not the golfers that have dropped the bread. Instead, they find Hank sitting with his bill wide open, waiting for his next unsuspecting victim.
Hank isn’t the only bird to use these nifty tactics to catch prey. There are currently 12 known species of bird known to use bait as a tool to catch fish, most of these are in the heron family. By using our afternoon visits to the park as an excuse to get their hands on some bait, we have unwittingly become their partners in crime. So, the next time you skip happily to the pond, feeling more Countryfile than Kate Humble, spare a thought for our fishy friends!
Honeyguides
I’m afraid this is another example where we have been used (but, not abused) by our feathery friends. Honeyguides are one of the few species of birds that feed on wax from insects. However, it is the behaviour of just a couple of species of honeyguides that gives the birds their name. One species employing this behaviour is the Greater Honeyguide. Top of the menu for our Greater Honeyguide is beeswax. Unfortunately, for these feathery creatures, it’s very difficult to get your beak on this tasty treat when it’s locked away in a robust hive protected by an army of angry bees. Luckily for the honeyguide, they aren’t the only ones who want what’s hidden inside these hives – we do too! The honeyguides have used this desire to solve their own problem. Honeyguides are given their name because they literally guide people to the honey! Once humans are at the hives they break them open and take the honey they want. Once they’ve got out of the way, the birds swoop in and fill their stomachs with the wax that’s left in the hive.
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Drongos
It’s not just people that birds have used their intelligence to trick. Some birds have conned other species of bird into helping them survive. The pied babbler is one species that has fallen for the Drongos’ charm. Drongos follow some groups of pied babblers and act as a protector. They’ve been seen to watch over a group and screech loud alarm calls to warn them when there’s a predator about. The pied babblers reward their knight in shining armour by allowing them access to some of the food they collect. I’m sure you’ll agree this all seems to mutually benefit both species. However, sometimes the food collected is not enough for the greedy Drongos. Occasionally, the Drongo has been seen to give false alarm calls, when there is no danger in sight, in order to cause the pied babblers to flee to safety. The Drongo then has free access to all the food it desires. This is called kleptoparasitism, where individuals attempt to steal food captured by others. The pied babblers have started to get wise to this and have been seen to scare Drongos off from their group, before they’ve had a chance to con them. However, there is no denying that those pesky Drongos are definitely a fine example of bird intelligence.
I’m sure you’ll agree these birds have all thought up some pretty inventive ways of keeping their bellies full. Of course, there are many more birds I could talk about. This is just a whistle stop tour of some of my favourite feathery tricksters.
And, with that, I’m finally back. I’ll see you again very soon, I promise.
Guess what I know? 