How do birds know that another bird is dead? (5 Viewers)

[fugl]

Much of birds life is reacting to simple visual signals of posture and movement. Eg: raises tail -> mate with it (even a stuffed dummy put by researcher). Something sings -> attack it (even a loudspeaker put by researcher).

Birds usually don't use smell or any "magnetic" or telepathic waves. And actually usually have little understanding of concepts like "bird" or "mate" or "live" or "dead". Their often very complex behavior is often a set of very basic signal -> reaction rules

Indeed, agree 100%, that's the answer to the broader question of how birds react in general to their environments. As far as the particular question is concerned, then, a "dead" bird (as opposed to decoys & some taxidermic specimens) would be one that because of posture & lack of movement etc. just lies there flopped on the ground, putting out no signals of interest at all.

 

[halftwo]

Robins will attack a stuffed Robin - so obviously they can't tell.

 

[keith]

I was once driving along when I saw a Blue-Tit fly up from the road, I've never seen that before so checked out what it was doing, what I assumed was its mate was lying there dead, hit by a vehicle probably, sad, but it certainly wasn't ignoring it.

 

[Adam W]

Where's the video, Adam? |=)|

Sadly as always no camera at hand when you really need it.

 

[saluki]

Thats just reminded me that i once saw a Woodpigeon trying to mate with a plastic decoy.

I've had woodpigeons attempt to mate with artificial decoys and dead birds. As I shot more pigeon I'd remove the artificials and simply rely on the dead birds to attract more birds, they'd often land amongst them and start bowing and cooing. I've had ducks, geese, even corvids land amongst dead birds and artificials without any sign that they recognised the birds as being dead, or not even real. However, if a corvid saw another get shot, then it would behave differently. If I remained hidden then the corvids couldn't resist heading over to take a look, almost as if mobbing the dead bird. If they spotted me then they would move off sharpish. Live birds (illegal in the UK), or 'flappers' work simply because the movement attracts passing birds more effectively than static decoys, a dead bird thrown into the air works very well too.

I've seen cockerells try to mount hens that have been killed and dropped on the floor, likewise I've seen them battle with jerking, dead cockerells!

In my experience birds normally go somewhere quiet to die, I rarely see fresh corpses that have simply dropped dead from disease or old-age. The first we generally see of them is when a predator drags them from where they have died into a more conspicuous area.

Birds react to dead predators pretty much the same as they do live ones, if the predator is set up in anything like a life-like pose most birds will be fooled. Decoy owls are regularly used to attract corvids, a propped-up dead fox will cause birds to mob it too. Last summer I watched a redshank mobbing the bloated corpses of two dead foxes at Frodsham Marsh, these certainly didn't look alive or particularly threatening.

Cheers
Jonathan

 

[csanchez7]

I think fugl is closest with his assumptions -- birds do not agonize over the issue that another bird is dead. Why would they? It takes time away from other more important matters, such as food, predators, and mates. A dead bird is about as natural to them as fallen leaves on the ground.

However, I do think birds are a little brainier than just reacting to simple visual signals (which is about what fish are capable of doing). Birds will learn that a tape is not another bird and eventually ignore it. They will learn that a plastic owl is not a threat.

I am a birder, but I also keep Cockatiels as pets and enjoy watching their behavior. They are very capable of learning behavior that would be otherwise unnatural, such as inspecting and trying to pry open the sliding door by climbing up the metal frame. There also seems to be some altruism in one individual (previously abused), who will fret and watch intently every time one of his companions is picked up and hand "preened." None of the other individuals show this behavior at all. One bird is absolutely obsessed with his reflection, but the other three react to the reflection as if if there is nothing there of any interest at all. At least among parrots, different individuals definitely show separate personalities that goes a bit beyond simple visual cues --> react for all behavior.

Carlos

 

[Adam W]

I think fugl is closest with his assumptions -- birds do not agonize over the issue that another bird is dead. Why would they? It takes time away from other more important matters, such as food, predators, and mates. A dead bird is about as natural to them as fallen leaves on the ground.

However, I do think birds are a little brainier than just reacting to simple visual signals (which is about what fish are capable of doing). Birds will learn that a tape is not another bird and eventually ignore it. They will learn that a plastic owl is not a threat.


Carlos

I agree with all of that, it doesnt pay to 'humanise' birds and think that they would think and worry about things the way we would.

I also agree that birds do learn very quickly this is the reason why things like sacrecrows dont work very well as the birds quickly realise that they arent actually a threat to them.

 

[csanchez7]

I agree with all of that, it doesnt pay to 'humanise' birds and think that they would think and worry about things the way we would.

I completely agree, Adam. We should not humanize birds and attempt to apply human-like intelligence to them, as if the lack of human-like intelligence suddenly makes them "dumb." From what I have observed, birds do have intelligence but they see the world so differently than we do that sometimes what would be intelligent/common sense to a bird would seem out of place for us. They definitely learn very quickly and have a knack for solving simple problems.

It all relates to the original poster's question.

Carlos