- Feb 5, 2002
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Australian ornithologists have stumbled upon an extremely rare cognitive ability in magpies sitting fitting five of the birds with little backpack tracking devices.
Demonstrating a mix of rescue behavior/altruism and clever problem solving, the magpies saw their friends had a strange metal parasite on them, and within hours the group had cut them free from almost all of the trackers.
Australian magpies live in social groups of up to 12 individuals. They display group behavior through things like defending their territory with swooping, and through sharing child-rearing responsibilities with their siblings.
Continued below.
Magpies Outwit Scientists, by Helping Each Other Remove Tracking Devices
Demonstrating a mix of rescue behavior/altruism and clever problem solving, the magpies saw their friends had a strange metal parasite on them, and within hours the group had cut them free from almost all of the trackers.
Australian magpies live in social groups of up to 12 individuals. They display group behavior through things like defending their territory with swooping, and through sharing child-rearing responsibilities with their siblings.
Continued below.
Magpies Outwit Scientists, by Helping Each Other Remove Tracking Devices
