The European starling boasts a remarkable repertoire. Versatile songbirds that learn warbles, whistles, calls, and songs throughout their lives, starlings rank among the most advanced avian vocal learners. Now a new study published infinds that starlings, along with other complex vocal learners, are also superior problem solvers.
Only a handful of animal groups are capable of complex vocal learning, roughly defined as the ability to learn and retain a large number of sounds. Humans, elephants, whales, seals, and bats represent most mammalian vocal learners; songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds cover the birds.
"It's a protected area, which means the animals have limited exposure to humans," says Mélanie Couture, a research assistant who worked on the study."This is ideal for studying the behaviors of wild birds -- what they can do, and how they react to cognitive tasks." The team then ran a battery of cognitive tests on 214 birds from 23 species . They tested problem-solving abilities by challenging the birds to remove a lid, pierce foil, or pull a stick to retrieve a treat. Self-control was assessed by placing a transparent barrier between each bird and a snack, and recording how long it took the birds to stop butting up against the barrier and go around it.
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