A recent study involving Eurasian Jays found that the birds, related to Blue Jays and crows, demonstrate an aspect of intelligence previously thought only to exist in humans. Male Eurasian Jays present their mates with gifts as part of their natural pair-bonding behavior. In the study, male jays were given the option to present their mates with a gift of a mealworm larvae or a moth larvae.

The male would observe the female bird eating either moth larvae or mealworm larvae, and depending on which the female had been eating, the male would offer her the other. The idea is that a "jay that’s gorged on moths will generally prefer to eat mealworms afterwards, and vice versa, just as a [human] satiated by chocolate will next take a slice of cake." This type of awareness of the feelings of others is called "theory of mind" and it was once believed that only humans had this kind of knowledge. You can read more about the study and see a short video of the experiment here: Gift-Giving Birds May Think Much Like People.

The parrots, parakeets, macaws, conures and cockatiels in this image flock together to make up a heart to wish you Happy Valentine's Day!

The birds featured in this design are: African Grey Parrot; Alexandrine Parakeet; Barred Parakeet; Black-cheeked Lovebird; Black-collared Lovebird; Blossom-headed Parakeet; Blue-and-yellow Macaw; Blue-crowned Conure; Cockatiel; Derbyan Parakeet; Eastern Rosella; Eclectus Parrot; Fisher's Lovebird; Golden Conure; Golden-capped Parakeet; Golden-winged Parakeet; Gray-headed Lovebird; Green-cheeked Parakeet; Lilian's Lovebird; Maroon-bellied Conure; Monk Parakeet; Orange-fronted Parakeet; Pacific Parrotlet; Rosy-faced Lovebird; Plum-headed Parakeet; Red-headed Lovebird; Red-masked Parakeet; Red-tailed Black Cockatoo; Rose-ringed Parakeet; Scarlet Macaw; Senegal Parrot; Saint Lucia Amazon; Umbrella Cockatoo; White-fronted Amazon; and Yellow-headed Amazon.

Contributing to citizen Science projects helps our collective knowledge, but it also helps us as individuals learn. We'd like to highlight some citizen science projects in which families can participate. If you know of a project that we could highlight on our blog, please let us know!

The 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will take place from Friday, Feburary 15th through Monday, February 18th. Participation is free and anyone in the world can contribute! Here is a what is involved, taken from the official GBBC website:

"The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual 4-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are.

Participants tally the number of individual birds of each species they see during their count period. They enter these numbers on the GBBC website."

The annual count helps scientists understand what is happening with bird populations during a specific period of time each winter. This "snapshot" of current bird activity is monitored over time to look for population trends. Results from previous counts can be seen by participants and scientists alike. This is a great citizen science project for birdwatchers of all ages! Data entry is easily accomplished via the GBBC site; younger birdwatchers may need help with keeping and entering count information.

Learn more about this project and how you can participate by visiting the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

Have you participated in the GBBC before? Will you participate this year?

The Egyptian Plover is a beautiful species of wader that lives in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the common name, their present range does not extend to any part of Egypt. The bird is sometimes known by another name: Crocodile Bird.

During his travels to Egypt in 459 BC, the Greek historian Herodotus recorded a fascinating observation: a small bird, which he identified as the Egyptian Plover, engaging in what appeared to be a symbiotic interaction with a crocodile. According to Herodotus, this bird was seen picking out food from the open mouth of a crocodile, a behavior presumed to be mutually beneficial. The crocodile would receive a thorough cleaning of its teeth, while the bird enjoyed an effortless meal.

However, the reliability of this account has been a subject of debate. Herodotus, known as the world's first historian, was also nicknamed "The Father of Lies," suggesting that some of his observations might have been exaggerated or misinterpreted. The myth of the Crocodile Bird was later revived by explorers and naturalists in the 19th and 20th centuries, with personal eyewitness accounts from a German zoologist and a British birdwatcher. Yet, these accounts have been widely disputed and lack substantial corroborative evidence.

In fact, there is no definitive scientific record of a cleaning symbiotic relationship between any crocodilian species and any bird species. This absence of evidence casts doubt on the validity of the Egyptian Plover's role as a Crocodile Bird.

Despite the questionable authenticity of this behavior, the moniker "Crocodile Bird" undeniably adds an aura of intrigue and mystique to the Egyptian Plover. It's a nickname that captures the imagination, painting a picture of a fearless bird in a daring dance with one of nature's most formidable reptiles. Despite its questionable background, the nickname Crocodile Bird does make the Egyptian Plover sound kind of cool, don't you think?