Ackerman poses an interesting question: Does the use of tools require a big brain or does using tools stimulate brain growth? Birds that cache food, such as blue jays, use cunning and stealth to fool any watching birds, and birds that maintain long-term relationships are attuned to the needs and even moods of their partners. Many have read about New Caledonian crows using tools - a skill once thought to be uniquely human - to pry insects out of tree holes. This science writer picked the brains of avian researchers around the globe to show us that birds are deeply intelligent, complex creatures with quick and flexible minds. Read Jennifer Ackerman’s engaging book and I promise that you’ll never look at birds in the same way again. Jennifer Ackerman, Penguin Press, 2017, $17 paperback
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