The Genius of Birds is a 2016 book by nature writer Jennifer Ackerman.
Content
The Genius of Birds highlights new findings and discoveries in the field of bird intelligence. The book explores birds as thinkers (contrary to the cliché "bird brain") in the context of observed behavior in the wild and brings to it the scientific findings from lab and field research.
New research suggests that some birds, such as those in the family Corvidae, can rival primates and even humans in forms of intelligence. Though birds have small brains relative to their size, their brains contain "large numbers of neurons". Like humans, these connections between brain cells that "matter in the matter of intelligence."
Ackerman highlights the complex social structures of avian society. They are capable of abstract thinking, problem solving, recognising faces, gift giving, sharing, grieving, and meaningful communication with humans. Ackerman goes in depth to highlight scientific studies that uncover behavior such as tool usage, speaking in regional accents, navigation and theory of mind.
Reception The book is a New York Times Best Seller and was named one of the 10 best nonfiction books of 2016 by The Wall Street Journal.The WSJ Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2016
Translations
. Translated by Heli Naski. Jyväskylä: Atena. 2017. . . Translated by Christel Dormagen. Hamburg: Rowohlt. 2017. . . Translated by Rune R. Moen. Oslo: Gyldenhal. 2017. . . Translated by Barbara Gutowska-Nowak. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. 2017. . . Translated by Gemma Deza Guil. Barcelona: Ariel. 2017. . . Translated by Vendula Hlavová. Brno: Nakladatelství Kazda. 2018. . . Translated by Helen Urbanik. Tallinn: Tänapäev. 2018. . . Translated by Shen Hanzhong and Li Siqi. Nanjing: Yilin Press. 2019. . . Translated by Kasparas Pocius. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 2019. . . Translated by Laura Patricio Sedano. Ribaroja del Túria: Cossetània Edicions. 2023. .
References