RationalParrot
Well-known member
There's a large park not too far from home. In the park is a set of aviaries, and in the aviaries are some birds of prey. There are two horned owls, a pair of American kestrels, a red-tailed hawk, and a bald eagle. These are all local birds that were found injured. None of these birds will ever be fit to return to the wild.
The thing is, every time I have gone by the aviaries, I couldn't help but feel oppressed. The aviaries are bare, wooden structures. There is a variety of perches in them, but little in the way of stimulation or enrichment. The birds seemed to my mind to be sitting there in conditions of deprivation.
I happened upon one of the keepers today, and asked her about this. To my surprise, she said the park rangers had inquired widely about ways to enhance the cages. They'd wondered about toys or other objects. Veterinarians, trainers, and others told them that these birds just didn't appreciate the enhancements, though. These birds are content to sit there on the perches all day, and feel no deprivation without toys or other stimuli. These birds are too dumb to require this sort of thing, the rangers were told.
The park employees do move the perches from time to time to a different location, and that's all that the birds seem to require. The keeper also said that from time to time they'll take these birds on walks through the park, which the birds enjoy immensely.
I had heard it said that owls were not very intelligent among birds. If what she said is true of predatory bird species more widely, it's somewhat surprising. Among mammals, predators tend to more intelligent than their prey. It would be interesting if hawks, eagles, kestrels, owls, etc., were less intelligent than omnivores like corvids or parrots.
I wonder if any of you know anything about the intelligence of these or other predatory avian species?
The thing is, every time I have gone by the aviaries, I couldn't help but feel oppressed. The aviaries are bare, wooden structures. There is a variety of perches in them, but little in the way of stimulation or enrichment. The birds seemed to my mind to be sitting there in conditions of deprivation.
I happened upon one of the keepers today, and asked her about this. To my surprise, she said the park rangers had inquired widely about ways to enhance the cages. They'd wondered about toys or other objects. Veterinarians, trainers, and others told them that these birds just didn't appreciate the enhancements, though. These birds are content to sit there on the perches all day, and feel no deprivation without toys or other stimuli. These birds are too dumb to require this sort of thing, the rangers were told.
The park employees do move the perches from time to time to a different location, and that's all that the birds seem to require. The keeper also said that from time to time they'll take these birds on walks through the park, which the birds enjoy immensely.
I had heard it said that owls were not very intelligent among birds. If what she said is true of predatory bird species more widely, it's somewhat surprising. Among mammals, predators tend to more intelligent than their prey. It would be interesting if hawks, eagles, kestrels, owls, etc., were less intelligent than omnivores like corvids or parrots.
I wonder if any of you know anything about the intelligence of these or other predatory avian species?