Jennifer Ackerman Books

Bird communication is far more layered than the human ear often perceives. In this chapter, I unfold discoveries from researchers who listen with acoustic recorders and behavioral insight. Birds talk in dialects—regional variations shaped by geography and social contact—and they engage in deliberate...

From The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think

Few aspects of bird behavior astonish scientists more than their craftsmanship. New Caledonian crows, for instance, use sticks to extract grubs from tight crevices—a habit passed through generations. Australian cockatoos unlock waste bins, while Egyptian vultures wield stones to crack open ostrich e...

From The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think

When we talk about genius in birds, we must first ask what intelligence really means. For a long time, biologists defined it narrowly—often through qualities we most admire in ourselves: abstract reasoning, tool use, or symbolic communication. But those definitions are being rewritten. Intelligence,...

From The Genius of Birds

Few discoveries have changed our view of birds as profoundly as evidence of tool use. New Caledonian crows, for example, do not merely use twigs to extract insects from crevices—they manufacture tools with precision, shaping leaves and sticks into hooks. In laboratory tests, these crows can solve pu...

From The Genius of Birds