Um, how is that different from what I said? I made no assumptions, the
bird clearly was "playing dead." That observation doesn't preclude an
instinctive response-- although I do think we sometimes bend so far over
backwards to try to explain away bird and animal behavior as hard-wired
"stumulus-respose" that we encroach pretty far beyond Occam's razor.
The bird played dead. *Why* it played dead is not something I
speculated on, but others are certainly free to.
Jane
Shoreham
William H. Barnard wrote:
> Jane's comments might be totally correct, but I would like to suggest to
> readers that observations in nature often have multiple explanations.
> Jane's explanation is one of many that might explain her observation.
> I do not believe that cowbirds or other birds have the cognative powers
> to "play dead" when attacked by a hawk. Much as we might like to think
> that our birds have that ability, research might suggest that they are
> more "creatures of the moment" and live their lives, for the most part,
> by responding in very stereotyped behaviors to stimuli. Evidence of a
> thought process or learning in birds is present in the literature but
> not the norm.
>
> I always try to teach my students to look for alternative explanations
> and not grab the one's that are often driven by anthropomorphism.
>
> Bill Barnard
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vermont Birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of jane
> Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 6:59 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Pigeon -- Rock Dove Rescue
>
> Great story! I read/saw somewhere that although Rock Doves may look
> stupid, they've exhibited the greatest cognitive ability of any bird,
> including crows, researchers have tested. It one of those studies
> involving pecking the right picture to get a food pellet, and the Rock
> Doves quickly learned to distinguish between photographs and artwork,
> and then actually between artists. If I remember right, it was
> something like Picasso and Monet they ultimately tested them on. Hard
> to believe.
>
> Some winters ago, I saw a little male Sharpie plunge into one of those
> big balls of blackbirds in a farm field in Addison and come out the
> other side with what looked like a cowbird in his claws. He took it
> over to a nearby barn roof and sat down with it and pulled a couple of
> feathers. The cowbird was completely splayed out, limp, head fallen
> back, wings open and drooping, looked quite dead.
>
> Then the Sharpie decided he didn't want to have his lunch with me
> watching, I guess, and lifted off to go somewhere else. He must have
> loosened his grip just for a second because the cowbird instantly came
> to life, jerked free and dove down out of my sight. Sharpie learned a
> lesson, I think. I didn't know birds would play dead to that extent.
> The cowbird wasn't just still, it let itself go completely limp in the
> hawk's talons and just waited for a lapse of concentration.
>
> Jane
> Shoreham
>
>
>
>
> William Gilbert wrote:
>
>
>>While watching a large flock of some 35 rock doves ground feeding a
>
> hawk
>
>>flashed into view and took one of the suddenly fleeing Rock Doves to
>
> the
>
>>ground. The others all disappeared to a roof top they favor.
>>
>>As the Hawk prepared to dine while standing on the pigeon and plucking
>>feathers, the captive, coming back to life, broke loose and tried to
>
> escape.
>
>>It made it into the air about 25 to 30 feet with the hawk in hot
>
> pursuit,
>
>>when the flock appeared again and flew into the path of the two birds.
>
> In
>
>>the confusion the hawk lost its prey.
>>
>>Sure looked like a rescue.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
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