ManyBirds: A multi-site collaborative Open Science approach to avian cognition and behaviour research

Comparative cognitive and behaviour research aims to investigate cognitive evolution by comparing performance in different species to understand how these abilities have evolved. Ideally, this requires large and diverse samples, however, these can be difficult to obtain by single labs or institutions, leading to potential reproducibility and generalisation issues with small, less representative samples. To help mitigate these issues, we are establishing a multi-site collaborative Open Science approach called ManyBirds, with the aim of providing new insight into the evolution of avian cognition and behaviour through large-scale comparative studies, following the lead of exemplary ManyPrimates, ManyBabies and ManyDogs projects. Here, we outline a) why we should study birds, including the origin of modern birds, avian brains, convergent evolution of cognition, and the replicability crisis; b) the current state of the avian cognition field, including a ‘snapshot’ review; c) the ManyBirds project, with plans, infrastructure, limitations, implications and future directions. In sharing this process, we hope that this may be useful for other researchers in devising similar projects in other taxa, like non-avian reptiles or mammals, and to encourage further collaborations with ManyBirds and related ManyX projects. Ultimately, we hope to promote collaboration between ManyX projects to allow for wider investigation of the evolution of cognition across all animals, including potentially humans.

Using 3D modelling and printing to study avian cognition from different geometric dimensions

Studying animal cognition is meaningful because it helps us understand how animals adapt to the natural environment. Many birds build nests, clean their nests and reject foreign objects from their nests, which provide an optimal opportunity for studying their cognition toward foreign objects in nests. However, hand-made models used in previous studies have many deficiencies that considerably constrain our capacity to understand the evolution of avian cognition of foreign objects because they are unquantifiable and dependent on different features. We established a 3D modelling and printing method to manipulate one geometric dimension of a model while controlling for others, which allowed us to investigate avian cognition for different dimensions independently. Here we introduce this method, conduct an empirical study as an example, and discuss its applications to further studies.

A Facet Theory Analysis of the Structure of Cognitive Performance in New Zealand Robins (Petroica longipes)

In this report we analyse the cognitive performance of New Zealand Robins (Petroica longipes) using facet theory, smallest space analysis (SSA) and partial order scalogram analysis (POSA). The data set we analyse was originally subjected to principle component analysis in order to develop a test-battery for avian cognitive performance. We extend these analyses by proposing a two facet rather than a single component solution using SSA and we characterize individual birds by their scores on all tasks using POSA. We note problems with the small sample size and call for our exploratory analyses to be replicated using a larger sample of birds and for the development of further test items using the facet theory’s tool the mapping sentence. We suggest that facet theory and the mapping sentences are research approaches suitable for conceiving, designing, analysing and developing theory that may be used within avian cognitive research. We conclude by proposing a mapping sentence for avian cognition, which forms an adaptable template for future avian cognition research.

Birds of a feather? Parrot and corvid cognition compared

The last several decades of research on avian cognition have revealed surprising parallels between the abilities of birds — most notably corvids — and great apes. Parrots, albeit far less studied, are cited alongside corvids as “feathered apes”, but are these two taxa really that similar cognitively? In this review we aim to take a step back and present the broader picture, focusing on areas where there is now data from both parrots and corvids to facilitate first comparisons on a somewhat wider scale. By charting these birds’ performance in cognitive tasks, in many of which corvids perform on par with primates, we hope to highlight understudied areas and promising directions for future research. In reviewing the literature, the general pattern that emerges shows that different corvid and parrot species indeed perform similarly in a range of cognitive tasks to the extent that one may call them “feathered apes”.