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If you are interested in the intelligence of birds and the crafty and sometimes brilliant things they do, then you will love this New York Times national bestseller.
In this article, I am reviewing the Audible version of the book. It is also available on Kindle, as a hard or softcover, and even as an audio CD. The button below will take you to a choice page where you can find the book on Amazon, Walmart, or eBay:
The Genius Of Birds Review
The cover of this mind-popping journey into the genius of birds on Audible depicts a Blue Tit stuffing its head into a glass milk bottle to get at the cream on top. This is a perfect insight into the book’s content, just one of many amusing anecdotes that attest to the brilliance of birds.
The audible version is narrated by Patience Tomlinson who has appeared extensively in theater and radio in the UK. Both her name and the perfect English accent with which she reads the book remind me of children’s audiobooks, I half expected a bell to sound and to hear her say “turn the page.”
That being said, she does a wonderful job of narrating this title. The way in which she deepens her voice when reading any quote said by any male put me off at first but I soon got used to it.
The book opens with a biting statement that immediately draws you in and sets the mood:
For a long time, the knock on birds was that they’re stupid. Beady eyed and nut brained. Reptiles with wings. They fly into windows, peck at their reflections, buzz into powerlines, blunder into extinction.
Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman then goes on to provide more than a sufficient amount of proof to the contrary, much of which totally blew my mind. I had always known birds were not stupid but I had no idea just how smart they are.
Anecdotes From The Book
The following are just some of the anecdotes Jennifer gathers together as proof of the genius of birds:
- the African Grey Parrot “Alex” who before he died had mastered hundreds of words for objects, colors, and shapes.
- New Caledonian Crows that fashion tools such as hooks to get at food.
- the Crow whimsically named 007 who solved an 8-step puzzle in record time to earn himself a treat and over 13 million views on YouTube.
- the incredible language of Chickadees, complete with syntax.
- how Magpies are able to recognize their own reflections in a mirror showing proof of self-awareness.
Summary
The stories and scientific evidence come thick and fast in what I have to say is a wonderful book. If you are a bird lover, twitcher, bird watcher, or simply want to find out just how smart birds are…this book is a must-read.
It gets five stars from us here at Birdwatch World.