Exploring how instinct softens into adaptable intelligence in pigeons and other birds.
This work examines how domestication changes instinct, opening doors to choice and more flexible action.
This edition surveys the progression from rigid instinct to greater plasticity, using careful comparisons across wild, semi-domesticated, and domesticated pigeons. It blends historical notes with observations on behavior, learning, and the limits of animal minds to illuminate why some birds think—and act—more freely than others.
- Learn how instinct sets the stage for choice, and what makes behavior more flexible with domestication.
- See simple, repeatable experiments that illustrate how birds respond when eggs are removed from the nest.
- Discover how different species show varying levels of persistence, curiosity, and problem solving.
- Understand why “choice” arises from a combination of internal wiring and external conditions.
Ideal for readers curious about animal behavior, evolution, and the roots of intelligence in birds.