Avian Cognition: Exploring the Intelligence, Behavior, and Individuality of Birds

Unlike any other book, Avian Cognition thoroughly examines avian intelligence, behavior, and individuality. Preferences, choices, motivation, and habits of species, flocks, and individual birds are discussed and compared. This book investigates who birds are and why they do what they do. Daily, seasonal, and play activities, creativity, reasoning abilities, problem-solving skills, social interaction, life stages, and communication patterns are described, and a distinction is made between vocalizations that are learned and those that are inherited. The behavior and intelligence of both wild and pet birds is compared, and unlike other books, entire chapters are devoted to a single species.

Debra Herrmann is a Principal Research Scientist with the Biological Computing Initiative. She leads interdisciplinary research that examines the parallels between avian intelligence, behavior, learning, reasoning, problem solving, and communication skills and computer intelligence, artificial intelligence, neural nets, computer heuristics, and other biological computing models found in nature.

Debra has been active in the federal and academic research communities in the Washington, D.C. area for the past 30 years. She has competed for and received research funding ranging from $50K to $4M for various projects, and because of her expertise, Debra has been asked to sit on panels evaluating research proposals submitted to the U.S. government for funding.

Debra led or participated in all the observational field studies reported in this book. She has participated in birding activities locally and on three continents (so far) over a span of 30 years. Debra teaches graduate, undergraduate, and professional short courses. She is a frequent guest speaker at annual conferences, monthly educational seminars, and informal committee meetings hosted by scholarly organizations and general membership societies. Avian Cognition is her fifth book. Her hope is that Avian Cognition will serve as a catalyst for increased public understanding of avian intelligence and behavior, better treatment of wild and pet birds worldwide, and more research in this area.