Saw this amazing mural here in Miami.

This is going beyond only Birds. This drone Squirrels are not only VTOL capable. They also have all the capabilities of vermin: fast and agile ground mobility

Think Predator, but with a tail.

A Nature Reviews Psychology just came out which summarises what we know so far about the advanced numerical abilities of 'birds'. Here it is: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-025-00480-8
(it is paywalled, so here is a share link)

Advanced numerical abilities. Counting skills. Computing. High 'neuronal density' (aka neural networks). Even in 'pigeons'! What could this possibly be?

Here is a GPT summary...

A review of recent studies on avian cognition reveals that birds possess sophisticated numerical abilities that are comparable to, and occasionally surpass, those of primates. These abilities have been observed in behavioral studies, field research, and neurobiological investigations.

Birds have demonstrated a range of numerical skills, many of which are based on non-symbolic numerical cognition systems—the object file system for precisely representing small numbers and the analogue magnitude system for approximating larger numbers.

Key competencies observed in avian species include:

Quantity Discrimination
Birds can differentiate between sets of items to determine which is greater or lesser in number. For instance, hooded crows and pigeons have been trained to discriminate between different quantities and can apply this learning to new, unfamiliar numbers and objects.

Proportional Reasoning
Domestic chicks and pigeons have demonstrated the ability to understand the relative ratios between different collections of items. Chicks were able to learn and distinguish between different proportions of colored dots and apply this understanding to new quantities.

Ordinality
Birds can recognize and understand the ordinal position of items in a sequence. Pigeons have been trained to select items in ascending numerical order and could generalize this rule to larger numbers of items, a task in which their performance was on par with that of monkeys.

Arithmetic
Some birds can perform basic arithmetic. In experiments using a "violation-of-expectation" paradigm, New Zealand robins showed that they could track additions and subtractions, as they looked longer at arithmetically incorrect outcomes.

Abstract Concepts
Research has also explored birds' understanding of more abstract numerical ideas. Studies with domestic chicks suggest they may have an intuitive, perception-based mechanism for identifying prime numbers by recognizing the asymmetry in how they can be grouped. There is also evidence that some birds, like the African grey parrot Alex, may grasp the concept of zero, responding with "none" when asked to quantify an object that is not present. Carrion crows have also shown neuronal activity that specifically represents the concept of zero.

Ecological and Evolutionary Significance

The numerical abilities of birds are not just laboratory curiosities; they serve important ecological functions that contribute to survival and reproduction. For example, American coots can count their own eggs to defend against brood parasitism, where other birds lay eggs in their nests. Similarly, for birds that hoard food, like the Australasian robin, being able to estimate the number of cached food items is vital for survival.

The fact that these complex numerical skills have emerged in birds, which are phylogenetically distant from mammals, suggests that these abilities can arise independently in different evolutionary lineages, highlighting their adaptive importance. Birds and mammals diverged from a common ancestor over 300 million years ago, and the presence of similar cognitive functions in both groups points to convergent evolution.

Neurobiology and Early Development

Despite significant differences in brain structure, particularly the lack of a six-layered cortex found in mammals, birds exhibit cognitive performances that rival primates. The avian brain's pallium, which is considered homologous to the mammalian cortex, has a higher density of neurons, potentially allowing for more efficient computation. Researchers have found "number neurons" in the brains of corvids and domestic chicks that are selective for specific numerosities, similar to what has been observed in the primate brain. This suggests that while the brain structures may have evolved differently, the underlying neural mechanisms for numerical processing may be analogous.

Studies with domestic chicks have been crucial in understanding the development of these skills. Because chicks are mobile and independent shortly after hatching, they can be studied from a very early age with controlled experiences. This research has shown that chicks have a predisposition for numerical processing that appears to be independent of extensive experience, supporting the idea that such cognitive abilities are part of an innate "core knowledge" system shared across different species, including humans.

Visited a park in Montreal and noticed four crows lining up being a tree. When I went to look, they were taking turns eating out of a yoghurt pot somebody had left. They even left a piece of shiny green foil behind to say thank you :’) (Yes, I threw the pot away once the crows were finished)

Arrayed on every tree in town.

It's an amazing morning to see this lovely bird with my flowers