Even though we have screens they are never closed. For the past few years two Magpie robins have made their home in and out o f our kitchen. The female would get close but would never let me touch her. Today while I was watching TV there was a bird sitting on the picture behind the TV, cherping. The dogs were going nuts. The female magpie flew into the room and landed on my shoulder completely ignoring the dogs. First time ever. Then I got it, the bird on the picture was her baby. I put the mutts out, got a chair, caught the baby and put her out the back window. The mother and father were there waiting. Somehow she knew that I would not hurt her baby! It was really a delightful experience!

Birds, in common with most animals, get used to people they see regularly who don't do them any harm. Olive-backed Sunbirds, for example, seem to like nesting near a doorway or window, as if it gave them some protection. I think most birds regard dogs as very stupid creatures indeed!

Birds, in common with most animals, get used to people they see regularly who don't do them any harm. Olive-backed Sunbirds, for example, seem to like nesting near a doorway or window, as if it gave them some protection. I think most birds regard dogs as very stupid creatures indeed!

My mother house has a resident sunbird nest by the back door. Strange and inconvenient place to put it. A long thing made of spider webs that looks like an old sock.

You will never been mean to a crow again after you read this article

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18429-if-you-think-a-crow-is-giving-you-the-evil-eye.html

Crows even don't "respect" water monitors as I have seen in Lumpini some crows being furious when a water monitor took over the stinking carcass of a big fish the crows were "cleaning". They started screeming at the water monitor and even pecking and pulling the lizard's tail................

While at work, I watched a particular crow during my coffee break. It kept bringing stale bread to a puddle and dropping it in to soften it.

My and my wife play this stupid game personifying birds and other animals.

Stupid I know but I swear some birds have particular personalities

I know I know.. take my medicine

Clever! And afterwards gets thirsty..........................

Once I have seen a seagull searching shells, picking them up, taking off and dropping them from a certain height to crush the shell.

My and my wife play this stupid game personifying birds and other animals. Stupid I know but I swear some birds have particular personalities I know I know.. take my medicine

Oh, I'm sure about that!

crows are incredibly smart birds...

AMAZING! (Don't do that in LOS! ). Thanks for sharing

Yeah people don't stop for the pedestrian lights!

More interesting things about crows and how smart they are

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_6-terrifying-ways-crows-are-way-smarter-than-you-think.html

Birds know shit all. That's why farangs are called 'kee nok'.

More interesting things about crows and how smart they are

spot on sbk.. the corvids (among other bird families) are well known for their intelligence levels.

probably the most famous currently known is the New Caledonian Crow. These clever birds have learnt to fashion hooks & tools from the twigs they find around them....

Corvids, and Parrots communicate in their local "dialect"

Once saw a crow in Melbourne doing the thing where they get food out of a bottom of a bin by hauling the liner up inch by inch and holding it with it's foot before eventually retrieving the manky pice of bread at the bottom. (That was a real crow, not a person from Adelaide BTW).

Birds, in common with most animals, get used to people they see regularly who don't do them any harm. Olive-backed Sunbirds, for example, seem to like nesting near a doorway or window, as if it gave them some protection. I think most birds regard dogs as very stupid creatures indeed!

Jeez. The very symbol of stupidity is a bird, the one that puts its head in the sand. So crows recognize people, big deal. A disease-ridden street mutt can do better, no matter what mask is used because it recognizes the smell. They find drugs, explosives, even are the best early-warning system to detect diseases like cancers, their ability to sniff a single molecule of a chemical is way above the capacity of technology. Millions of blind people have dogs to guide them around, just contemplate what amount of training, intelligence, and flexibility is required from a dog to do this. There are Border Collies and Shepards out there that understand hundreds, even more than 1,000 different words. Dogs are the only animals who can read our emotions, understand our gestures, even apes and dolphins can't do that.

Dude its a bird, I dont really see the need for such an aggressive response.

Dogs have a lot of attributes and instincts that have made them useful and enable them to become part of the family.. Problem solving isn't one of them.

.......even apes and dolphins can't do that.

but together with their well studied problem solving abilities, these two groups along with some bird species (and unlike all dogs) actually pass the 'mirror test' - the primary indicator of self-awareness in non-human animals.

however... some dogs can ride skateboards & water ski !! (well i did see it on youtube) so maybe they're not that dumb after all...

Reminds me of Konrad Lorenz who studied instinctive behaviour in animals, especially in Greylag geese and Jackdaws and who became famous whilst

.Almost opposite I have a neighbour who starting taking care of a lost quit young Common Myna, burung tiung (Malaysian), ( Acridotheres tristis) who is now inseparable from him when he comes home.

"Animals - Man's Best Friend"

.......even apes and dolphins can't do that.

but together with their well studied problem solving abilities, these two groups along with some bird species (and unlike all dogs) actually pass the 'mirror test' - the primary indicator of self-awareness in non-human animals.

however... some dogs can ride skateboards & water ski !! (well i did see it on youtube) so maybe they're not that dumb after all...

The magpie passed the mirror test as the only bird. Is it more intelligent to be aware of oneself than to be aware of more of what is going on around you? Not sure about that. There are no definitions for consciousness or awareness, anyway.

To recognise their own reflection as themselves rather than another of the same species is a big leap in intelligence. I doubt birds are any less aware of their surroundings than a dog, except that most birds can't smell.

Is it more intelligent to be aware of oneself than to be aware of more of what is going on around you? Not sure about that.

Without doubt....

I nursed a chick back to health and as she grew up she followed me around, our restaurant is open and she would come in and hang out, never pooped inside even tho of course I hadn't trained her. She had a name and would come when called, Killed a small snake at the doorstep. Sadly she developed some tumor and died. But she changed my mind about chickens (yes a Gai ban) and birds in general.

I nursed a chick back to health and as she grew up she followed me around, our restaurant is open and she would come in and hang out, never pooped inside even tho of course I hadn't trained her. She had a name and would come when called, Killed a small snake at the doorstep. Sadly she developed some tumor and died. But she changed my mind about chickens (yes a Gai ban) and birds in general.

I grew up with chickens roaming around the garden and they all have their own personalities outwith the group, most obvious when they are acting alone.

Group behaviour is predictable but individually they can be quite amusing. Bit like children really!

Birds, in common with most animals, get used to people they see regularly who don't do them any harm. Olive-backed Sunbirds, for example, seem to like nesting near a doorway or window, as if it gave them some protection. I think most birds regard dogs as very stupid creatures indeed!

Jeez. The very symbol of stupidity is a bird, the one that puts its head in the sand. So crows recognize people, big deal. A disease-ridden street mutt can do better, no matter what mask is used because it recognizes the smell. They find drugs, explosives, even are the best early-warning system to detect diseases like cancers, their ability to sniff a single molecule of a chemical is way above the capacity of technology. Millions of blind people have dogs to guide them around, just contemplate what amount of training, intelligence, and flexibility is required from a dog to do this. There are Border Collies and Shepards out there that understand hundreds, even more than 1,000 different words. Dogs are the only animals who can read our emotions, understand our gestures, even apes and dolphins can't do that.

Just for you mate:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/623970-are-you-discouraged-with-the-negativity-on-thaivisa-suggestions-here/#entry6180708

We had a Cockatoo in Aus. It had been raised from a chick by a local farmer. This bird could imitate the ring of an Australian phone perfectly. It also knew if you were the last person out of the house and as soon as you shut the door behind you the bird would start ringing so that you would rush back in to answer the phone.

Reminds me of that amazing lyrebird clip from the Attenborough documentary.