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How Cognitively Advanced Can a Small Passerine Bird Possibly Be? Suggestions From Studies of the Great Tit

Brodin, Anders LU (2025) In Comparative Cognition and Behavior Reviews 20. p.127-138
Abstract

Among small birds the great tit Parus major stands out as especially good at performing various cognitive tasks that are impressive to humans. It may, for example, knock on kitchen windows to get bird feeder refills, drum on beehives in winter to lure the bees to come walking out, perch in flowering fruit trees and kill incoming bumblebee queens and large butterflies, give false alarm calls in order to monopolize bird feeders, and so on. Its ability for observational learning is especially impressive. Almost all impressive or unusual cognitive achievements have to do with food acquirement. Contrastingly, there are also some cognitive tasks that it seems unable to perform even though some other animals can do them (e.g., mirror... (More)

Among small birds the great tit Parus major stands out as especially good at performing various cognitive tasks that are impressive to humans. It may, for example, knock on kitchen windows to get bird feeder refills, drum on beehives in winter to lure the bees to come walking out, perch in flowering fruit trees and kill incoming bumblebee queens and large butterflies, give false alarm calls in order to monopolize bird feeders, and so on. Its ability for observational learning is especially impressive. Almost all impressive or unusual cognitive achievements have to do with food acquirement. Contrastingly, there are also some cognitive tasks that it seems unable to perform even though some other animals can do them (e.g., mirror self-recognition and tool use).

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cognition, great tit, Parus major
in
Comparative Cognition and Behavior Reviews
volume
20
pages
12 pages
publisher
Comparative Cognition Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:105002040743
ISSN
1911-4745
DOI
10.3819/CCBR.2025.200008
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
25a82fbf-3bde-45cb-bf5a-db44c1d444ba
date added to LUP
2025-09-01 13:37:53
date last changed
2025-10-14 10:45:23
@article{25a82fbf-3bde-45cb-bf5a-db44c1d444ba,
  abstract     = {{<p>Among small birds the great tit Parus major stands out as especially good at performing various cognitive tasks that are impressive to humans. It may, for example, knock on kitchen windows to get bird feeder refills, drum on beehives in winter to lure the bees to come walking out, perch in flowering fruit trees and kill incoming bumblebee queens and large butterflies, give false alarm calls in order to monopolize bird feeders, and so on. Its ability for observational learning is especially impressive. Almost all impressive or unusual cognitive achievements have to do with food acquirement. Contrastingly, there are also some cognitive tasks that it seems unable to perform even though some other animals can do them (e.g., mirror self-recognition and tool use).</p>}},
  author       = {{Brodin, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1911-4745}},
  keywords     = {{cognition; great tit; Parus major}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{127--138}},
  publisher    = {{Comparative Cognition Society}},
  series       = {{Comparative Cognition and Behavior Reviews}},
  title        = {{How Cognitively Advanced Can a Small Passerine Bird Possibly Be? Suggestions From Studies of the Great Tit}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3819/CCBR.2025.200008}},
  doi          = {{10.3819/CCBR.2025.200008}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}