The Human Nature of Birds Book

In this provocative book about avian intelligence and communication--which are much more elaborate and deep than scientists once thought--behavioral scientist Theodore Xenophon Barber posits that birds share many qualities that humans have assumed are unique to themselves. Among these qualities, he says, are the ability to form abstract concepts, "to play with joy and mate erotically," and to adapt to a variety of situations. It is largely because avian knowledge is not carried across generations that their past thinking is lost, he continues, which leads people to assume that birds are thoughtless. With an eye to disarming critics of cognitive ethology, Barber reminds his readers that Charles Darwin reached similar conclusions. Whatever the case, bird lovers will find The Human Nature of Birds a fascinating curiosity. Read More