Study: Mockingbirds Can Distinguish Humans

Birds Attack People Who Have Threatened Their Nests Before While Ignoring Others Nearby

(AP)  Mockingbirds may look pretty much alike to people, but they can tell us apart and are quick to react to people they do not like.

Birds rapidly learn to identify people who have previously threatened their nests and sounded alarms and even attacked those people, while ignoring others nearby, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This shows a bird is much more perceptive of its environment than people had previously suspected," said Douglas J. Levey, a professor in the zoology department of the University of Florida.

"We are a part of their environment and we are a concern to them," Levey said in a telephone interview.

The researchers are studying mockingbirds as part of an effort to better understand how species adapt to urbanization.

With more and more areas being converted into towns and cities, animals that adapt well seem to be those that are especially perceptive about their environment, he said.

"We do not think mockingbirds evolved a specific ability to respond to humans, rather we think that mockingbirds are naturally perceptive about their environment, especially threats to their nests."

A graduate student involved in research on bird nesting noticed that when she would make repeat visits to peoples' yards the birds would alarm and attack her, while they would ignore people gardening or doing other things nearby, Levey said.

Indeed, it seemed they could even recognize her car, and she had to start parking around the corner.

So research team members decided to run their own tests in which people would approach mockingbird nests around the university campus, touch the nest, and then move on.

The study involved 10 people who varied in age, sex and amount of hair and facial hair, and dressed differently on different days, Levey said. The individuals approached a total of 24 mockingbird nests. They would approach the nests from different directions and at various times of day.

For four days the same student would approach and touch a nest, and then leave. The birds began reacting to them in advance starting on day three - fleeing the nest, sounding alarms and dive bombing the researchers.

"You may be walking by a bird and think it's just minding its own business. But if there is a nest nearby, you are its business," Levey said.

The researchers were surprised that the response was as rapid and dramatic as it was, Levey said.

It might have been expected from crows, ravens and parrots - birds known to be highly intelligent - but not from songbirds living in a natural setting, he said.

When, on the fifth day, a different student would approach the mockingbird nest, the birds did not respond in advance.

And even on the days when they were attacking a person they perceived as a threat, the birds ignored dozens of other passers-by.

Past studies have sought to determine if birds could choose between two individuals, or pictures of individuals, to get a food reward, Levey said.

This research was different in that the bird needed to pick out one person they had seen before, not always dressed the same or coming from the same direction, while streams of other people were walking by.

And the birds succeeded after having seen the person just twice.

[OregonJames]

How totally astute! Animals have eyes and the ability to think. Imagine that!

I wonder how many years of education were required to come up with this amazing theory. Perhaps their next study will tell us that fire is capable of making things hot.

[rational_1]

The fact of the matter is that birds are smarter than some humans.
Posted by erasmus111 at 7:11 AM : May 19, 2009

Judging by some of the comments I've read on these boards over the last year or two, I'd have to wholeheartedly agree with you.

[jxknowles]

Any farmer will tell you a crow can tell the difference between a pellet gun, shotgun and high powered rifle by the distance they keep. If you have a pellet gun, they'll mock you from the nearest fence post. If it's a scatter gun, they'll sit in a high tree nearby. If it's a rifle with a scope, see ya!

[brianbwb-2009]

"... Are you sure we are not talking about White Southern Evangelical Mockingbirds only???" Posted by DaVicar5

Yo dude, you are confused, the story says that mockingbirds will attempt to repel people who have threatened it, this is not bigotry. Bigotry is the baseless supposition that entire groups of people share some trait that justifies the bigot's hostility against them.

In fact the article does say that the birds will only attack such people as have disturbed their nest, and not others nearby.

Thus the birds are indeed smarter than "White Southern Evangelical Mockingbirds". or the Northern, Eastern, and Western ones, for that matter.

[erasmus111]

I think all birds are alot smarter than people give them credit for. Birds are smart.
Posted by petesis at 4:55 AM : May 19, 2009

NO petesis
Birds only ACT smart to impress the humans.
Posted by summarex at 5:36 AM : May 19, 2009


The fact of the matter is that birds are smarter than some humans.

[DaVicar5]

So, we add Mockingbirds to list of bigoted, intolerant racists, who single out individuals based on their appearance, and then punsih them for it!

Are you sure we are not talking about White Southern Evangelical Mockingbirds only???

[mrs_trepidatious]

God has given his creatures intelligence so they can identify sinners and serve them pestilence.

[I_am_me1953]

LMFAO

You can really be funny at times Troll!

Keep up the good work!

[summarex]

NO petesis
Birds only ACT smart to impress the humans.

[petesis]

I think all birds are alot smarter than people give them credit for. Birds are smart.

[brianbwb-2009]

"...Whats so amazing about distinguishing people?" Posted by edward817

The fact that some people cannot.

How many times have you heard the phrase "They all look alike to me..."?

[tbbaot]

Seems this information was available without all the "research". Birds know who their enemies are.

[democracy1]

We have a mockingbird here that mimics car alarms and starts before 4 a.m...

"to kill a mockingbird"...

[tll58]

I am always amazed at how 'research' lags behind so much common sense and common knowledge! Of course these birds are smart! As a child, we had a mockingbird sit outside our front door imitating the sound of my dad's typewriter as he toiled relentlessly over his Master's thesis. Of course, it only did it when I was around because I would laugh like crazy every time. You can't tell me that bird couldn't differentiate between humans!

[albert571]

Now this is real News. If I hadn't read this I never would have guessed . CBS you should be getting an Award for this major story any day now! Maybe even a couple Billion dollars to do a full blown study on this amazeing news story. I'm so impressed I'm thinking about switching to the Democratic ticket. To bad it was only a Mockingbird if it were a Blackbird they would have got a trillion dollar grant!

[kansas1946]

Amazing.