Blending scientific research with engaging anecdotes, Lefebvre explains the evolution of avian intelligence.

He develops an “innovation quotient” that can be used to measure and rank how innovative a bird species is.

His database consists of over 4500 cases of new and unusual feeding behavior seen in over 1600 species.

He discusses urbanization, cultural transmission, whether there are many kinds of intelligence, and much more.

Birds are amazing animals. They are highly diverse in size, shape, color, and lifestyles, and detailed research continues to show that they are intelligent, emotional, and sentient beings, so being called a birdbrain is actually a compliment rather than a dismissive insult.1 These are among the many reasons why I was thrilled to learn about a new book titled A Bird's IQ: Innovation, Intelligence, and Problem Solving in the Avian World, written by one of the world's leading avian biologists, Dr. Louis Lefebvre.

This gem of a book is a must-read encyclopedia packed with the latest science and vivid storytelling. The book's description tells it all: "Blending his decades of scientific research with engaging anecdotes, Lefebvre examines the evolutionary forces that have shaped avian intelligence. He explores how birds adapt to urban environments, innovate in response to challenges, and pass down knowledge across generations. This goldmine of bird behavior yields an ‘innovation quotient’ (like our human IQ) widely used by researchers to measure and rank how innovative a bird species is." Here's what Lefebvre had to say about the secret intelligence of birds and much more.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write A Bird's IQ?

Louis Lefebvre: To alert people........

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