Avian Intelligence (AI): Nothing Artificial About It!

(3 min read)

Bird’s brain is no birdbrain!

A stupid person is called birdbrained, but a bird’s brain is far smarter than we realise. Birds are among the smartest species on earth.

Every year, the Arctic tern flies about 40000 kms traveling from pole to pole. In its lifetime of about 30 years, it can fly a million kilometres, i.e., roughly three times the distance from Earth to the moon! With what navigational tools? Nothing except a ‘map’ and a ‘compass’ in its mind.

In September, 2020 scientists tracked a male bar-tailed godwit which flew 12000 kms nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days, without food or water, and set up a new record.
How many other animals have such amazing ability? If that is not intelligence, what is?

Mythical Birds

Several birds are the trusted vahanas for deities in our myths: Garuda, the Great Eagle, for Vishnu; Owl for Mahalakshmi; seven Swans for Brahma; Swan or Peacock for Saraswati, Peacock for Kartikeya; Parrot for Kamadeva; and Crow for Shani.

Garuda Purana

Of the 18 Mahapuranas, one is dedicated to a bird. Garuda Purana is a conversation between Vishnu and Garuda where the latter asks about the secrets of life and death and the journey of the soul after death, and Vishnu enlightens him. That is why this purana is recited at the home of the deceased as part of funeral rites.

Taittiriya Upanishad

Taittiriya Upanishad, one of the oldest upanishads, and part of Yajurveda, is a collection of wisdom on a range of subjects so expansive that not one person could possibly master it. Therefore, the Guru asked his disciples to take the form of tittiris (patridges), and partake of the learning in small morsels at a time. Hence, the name of the Upanishad.

Epics

Mythical birds were very intelligent. Jatayu figured out that Ravan was abducting Sita, and fought with great valour knowing very well that he was no match for the demon king. In Mahabharata, a heron ran a tough quiz for humans, and all the Pandava brothers failed, except the studious and thoughtful Yudhisthir.

Avian Intelligence (AI) Here and Now

AI is present all around me, and I note it daily, and more so in the spring season in the hectic nesting behaviour of our avian friends.

A Purple Sunbird

A purple sunbird, one of the smallest tropical birds, has built a nest on our terrace, hanging it from the wi-fi cable outside my study. Upon closer inspection, I noted that she has used twigs, small strips of paper from discarded Amazon packaging, and assorted material, and has laid an egg shiny as a grey pearl. How did she assess that the black wire, not a branch of a tree though looking like one, would hold the combined weight of her body and the egg that would be hatched in two weeks to a birdling? When did she learn to use non-organic material for her nest? Does she know that paper is nothing other than processed bamboo? How did she figure out that our terrace was a safe place to breed, and her nest was above reach of our Labrador whose ancestral profession was to retrieve from icy-cold waters birds shot by their masters?

Pigeon’s Nest

A hardworking pigeon couple has collected sturdy neem twigs and assembled a nest in the exhaust duct of the bath on the first floor; and the female sits for long hours to hatch the eggs. A few twigs drop inside the bathroom, their droppings stain the window panes and smell as pigeon shit does. They are happily unaware and unconcerned about the minor annoyance caused to the human residents. Site selection by the couple is a testimony to their amazing intelligence. The duct is beyond reach of any reptile, dog, or cat, and securely hidden from the field of vision of vultures circulating high up in the sky; and not easily accessible to the human residents unless they hire at substantial cost a very tall ladder, and a couple of workers to remove the nest, which they never do for fear of incurring paap. A nest must never be broken, and no animal or bird may be disturbed at breeding.

Dove Couple

Since the last few years, a dove couple has been building their nest and successfully raising their babies just above the tube-light fixture on our top terrace, after noticing that we seldom go there after nightfall, and the light is never switched on to startle them.

House Sparrows

Often, we open the windows of the master bedroom for ventilation and light, and soon enough a sparrow couple fly in with little twigs to assemble on top of the AC unit, having noted that we never use that space, and that we are open to sharing our accommodation with several other birds.

I am amazed at avian intelligence, and humbled by the trust of our winged friends in our goodwill and compassion, and remind myself that the entire hill where the Housing Board laid this new colony decades ago belonged to the animals and birds, and we are the encroachers into their home.

Cuckoo

One afternoon, I heard the highly agitated and vehement protest of a mob of sunbirds from the clump of the madhukamini bush on our porch, and thinking it might be a snake creeping up to steal an egg, stepped out of my study, and spotted a female cuckoo crouching on the floor possibly from labour pains, and the sunbirds tenaciously guarding the nest of one of their own, and angrily scolding the cuckoo, ‘Stupid, can’t you see this is not a crow’s nest, and too small for you to enter and lay your eggs? Go elsewhere.’ But it was time for the female cuckoo to lay her eggs, and with no crow’s nest around (where have all the crows gone?), she was in desperation.

I wonder where she laid her eggs and who hatched her babies?

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 Photo Credits:

1. Female sunbird on a tree: Shri Suhas Kumar, Retd IFS, Former PCCF, Madhya Pradesh & Author of 'Nature's Disciple', a highly readable book where the author shares his keen insights into Nature, and forest management and wild life conservation in MP.

An explanatory note on the photo by Shri Suhas Kumar: "The yellow on the ventral part of the female's body becomes prominent in the breeding season (Spring-Summer). The male which is dull coloured when not breeding adorns glistening iridescent purple feathers in the breeding season."

2. Female sunbird peeping out of her nest on our terrace, photo by the author.

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Postscript: 1 Apr 2023

I had published and shared this blog on 10 March 2023. A recent mild shower accompanied by a strong wind pulled down the sunbird's nest hung from the wi-fi cable, and the next morning I felt sad to hear the female's distress call. The little egg was gone. Yesterday, I noted with delight that the little bird was unfazed, and had now built a new nest inside the Distribution Box mounted on the electricity pole in front of our house. She had inspected the Box, determined that it was a storm-proof crater and a safe haven, and the pole a slender but sturdy tree refusing to sway even at a strong wind. She had packed the box with a new nest, and though I could not see what was inside, I guess she had laid her eggs, and would raise a new family. That is Avian Intelligence, and proof of her adaptation of modern technology!

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Books by the Author

Short story collections:

Tell A Tale and Other Stories

Invisible Poet and Other Stories

The Mysterious Ladies and Other Stories

Fiction

Kathapur Tales

Essays

Pink Diamond and Other Essays

Self-Help

How To Be an Author in 7 Days: A Beginner’s Guide to Self- Publishing

Story books for children:

Cave of Joy: Anand Gufa

Two Tales, Three Tellers: A Fairytale & A Fable

Poetry

RIVER SONG and Other Poems

Songs of Soil: Selected Poems of an Unschooled Bard: Padma Shri Haladhar Nag

O Krishna, O Son! Yashoda’s Sublime Song of Sorrow

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Note: Print copies of these books, except Pink Diamond and Other Essays, are available at amazon.in, notionpress.com, and flipkart.com. Ebooks are available at Amazon Kindle.

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