Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays [Paperback]

Candace Savage (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1997

Birds have long been viewed as the archetypal featherbrains—beautiful but dumb. But according to naturalist Candace Savage, “bird brain,” as a pejorative expression, should be rendered obsolete by new research on the family of corvids: crows and their close relations.
The ancients who regarded these remarkable birds as oracles, bringers of wisdom, or agents of vengeance were on the right track, for corvids appear to have powers of abstraction, memory, and creativity that put them on a par with many mammals, even higher primates. Bird Brains presents these bright, brassy, and surprisingly colorful birds in a remarkable collection of full-color, close-up photographs by some two dozen of the world’s best wildlife photographers.
Savage’s lively, authoritative text describes the life and behavior of sixteen representative corvid species that inhabit North America and Europe. Drawing on recent research, she describes birds that recognize each other as individuals, call one another by “name,” remember and relocate thousands of hidden food caches, engage in true teamwork and purposeful play, and generally exhibit an extraordinary degree of sophistication.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Now in paperback! Examines the lives and behaviors of the highly intelligent members of the crow family, corvids, and includes 61 dramatic images from the world's top nature photographers.

About the Author

Candace Savage is the author of numerous internationally acclaimed books of natural history, including The World of the Wolf, Wild Cats (Sierra Club, 1994) and Aurora: The Mysterious Northern Lights.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books (June 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871569566
• ISBN-13: 978-0871569561
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Animal Psychology
  • #13 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Ornithology
  • #28 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Depends on what you are looking for, June 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays (Paperback)

This book has some interesting anecdotes on Crows, Ravens & Jays, and it does also describe much of the day to day life of these birds. The book is more than 50% full page photographs, and the photography is excellent. There are a few Brandenburg photos that have the Brandenburg touch, an animal filmed intimately close. But if you are trying to do reseach on animal intelligence, this book is too shallow for that. It glosses over some reseach and incidents that I've read about more thouroughly in other sources. I wanted to say but but there's more... or yes but that has only been observed in two locations. If you are looking for photography and some general knowledge on corvids, this is the book. If you are researching animal intelligence, try George Page for a solid introduction. I think the title is Animal Minds. And if you already know quite a bit about this subject, you know where to look better than I do.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Magpies, & Ravens, and Crows, Oh My!, January 30, 2001

By 

Leona Malo (The Golden State) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays (Paperback)

I loved this book, simple as that. Yes, it is a coffee table-type book, but it's a great coffee table-type book. I became interested in corvids when a very young blue jay flew into my house one day only to discover that in flying into a human's home, there might be fat cats waiting to pounce. The Blue Jay ("Sky")learned quickly and never flew in again. He also learned which cat was the Hunter and which cat was the lazy cat. He avoids the Hunter at all costs, but knows the lazy one's habits so well, that he will brazenly drop down next to the comatose cat and hide his peanuts in the grass, just inches from the feline. Amazing. That's a form of identity branding, which means Sky has a mind. I also learned more about my neighborhood crows and why they'll engage in conversation with me every morning. Thanks to this book, I am indeed wiser regarding my local flying friends and will treat them with the respect they deserve.

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bird Brains, March 8, 2002

By 

Pearl Nancarrow (Globe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays (Paperback)

This is not the book to buy if you want to do any kind of research on corvids. It doesn't go into depth on any one of the family of corvidae. I had thought (mistakenly) that a book published by the venerated Sierra Club would have had more substance to it. The pictures are nice, though.