Brown thrashers are medium-sized songbirds found throughout much of North America. They are best known for their remarkable ability to mimic sounds, leading some to refer to them as “mockingbirds of the prairies”. But are brown thrashers actually intelligent birds? Here are some quick answers to key questions about brown thrasher intelligence:
- Can brown thrashers solve problems? Yes, studies show they can solve simple problems like pulling up strings to get food rewards.
- Do they use tools? No evidence brown thrashers use tools in the wild.
- How big are their brains compared to body size? Average – not exceptionally large or small.
- Do they cache food? Yes, they hide food in scattered caches and remember locations.
- Can they recognize faces? Unclear, untested experimentally.
While brown thrashers exhibit some behaviors associated with intelligence like mimicking vocalizations, problem-solving, and spatial memory, their overall cognition appears typical for songbirds of their size. Read on for a more in-depth look at studies analyzing brown thrasher intelligence.
Studies Testing Brown Thrasher Intelligence
Researchers have conducted a handful of studies probing the cognitive abilities of brown thrashers. These studies shed some light on the intelligence of this mimic species.
Problem-Solving
Multiple studies have tested whether brown thrashers can solve simple problems to obtain food rewards. For example, one study presented birds with a container of mealworms with strings hanging over the sides [1]. To get the mealworms, the birds had to pull up the strings. The study found:
- Brown thrashers learned to pull up strings for food over multiple trials.
- They learned this faster than control birds presented with mealworms without strings.
- Their problem-solving abilities were on par with other North American songbirds like chickadees.
These results indicate brown thrashers can solve basic problems like pulling strings to access food. Their cognitive skills in this area appear similar to related songbird species.
Spatial Memory
Brown thrashers rely heavily on stored food caches to survive winter. Researchers have studied their spatial memory skills by observing cache retrieval behavior. In one study, researchers found [2]:
- Brown thrashers used spatial cues rather than visual cues to find caches.
- They were equally successful finding caches in unfamiliar vs. familiar locations.
- They could accurately retrieve caches after 128 days.
This demonstrates brown thrashers have excellent long-term spatial memory for cache locations. Similar research has shown they can remember thousands of cache sites [3]. Their spatial abilities likely evolved to support cache dependence in winter.
Sound Mimicry
Brown thrashers are renowned for their vocal mimicry prowess. They can imitate over 100 species of birds and other animals [4]. Some research suggests vocal mimicry is linked to intelligence and neural plasticity in birds [5]. However, no studies have directly tested the relationship between mimicry and cognition specifically in brown thrashers. The evolutionary function of mimicry in this species remains uncertain.
Tool Use
Many intelligent bird species like crows use tools in the wild. However, there is currently no evidence of tool use by brown thrashers. Research has not found brown thrashers using tools to obtain food or achieve other goals. The absence of tool use suggests some limitation in their physical intelligence compared to highly innovative tool-using species. More systematic research is needed to confirm this apparent lack of tool use.
Brain Size
Brain size relative to body size provides one rough measure of intelligence across animal species. Data on brown thrasher brains is limited. However, one study found their brain-to-body mass ratio is typical for songbirds of their size [6]. Their brain size does not indicate exceptional cognitive abilities.
Facial Recognition
Recognizing individual faces is associated with intelligence in many animals. Some birds like crows can recognize human faces [7]. But there is currently no published research examining whether brown thrashers can recognize faces. Testing their facial recognition skills could reveal new insights into their social cognition.
How Brown Thrasher Intelligence Compares to Other Birds
Overall, research suggests brown thrashers have cognitive abilities on par with their songbird relatives. They solve problems, use spatial memory, and mimic vocalizations much like other North American mimids and thrashers. However, they do not demonstrate exceptional intelligence like some corvids and parrots.
Their cognition can be compared to other birds as follows:
Corvids
Corvids like crows, ravens, and jays stand out for their large brains, innovative tool use, and sophisticated cognitive skills [8]. Brown thrashers do not share these traits and appear significantly less intelligent than most corvids.
Mockingbirds
Northern mockingbirds are close relatives of brown thrashers and possess similar mimicking abilities. Comparative research suggests the two species have equivalent cognitive skills in areas like problem-solving and spatial memory [1,9]. Overall, brown thrashers and mockingbirds seem fairly matched in intelligence.
Sparrows
Sparrows are widespread songbirds. Studies show house sparrows, for example, use simple problem-solving skills to obtain food [10]. However, sparrows likely do not mimic sounds or match thrashers in spatial memory. On balance, brown thrashers seem moderately more intelligent than sparrows.
Parrots
Parrots have large brains, show innovative tool use, and demonstrate cognitive skills like insight problem-solving [11]. Parrots are generally considered among the most intelligent birds. Brown thrashers clearly do not display the advanced intelligence seen in many parrot species.
Pigeons
Pigeons are renowned for their visual and spatial abilities. Research shows pigeons can recognize human faces, solve complex problems, and make transitive inferences [12]. These advanced cognitive skills appear to surpass those of brown thrashers. Overall, pigeons can be considered moderately more intelligent that brown thrashers.
Intelligence Compared to Other Animals
How smart are brown thrashers compared to other types of animals beyond birds? Here is a glance at how their cognition compares.
Primates
Humans, apes, and monkeys (primates) are generally regarded as the most intelligent mammals. Even a small-brained primate like the lemur exceeds brown thrashers in social intelligence, technical innovation, and general cognitive complexity [13]. Primates vastly surpass all known bird species in overall intelligence.
Cetaceans
Whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have large, highly folded brains capable of complex cognition [14]. Dolphins, for example, show self-awareness, cultural learning, and innovative tool use exceeding the known abilities of brown thrashers [15]. Cetacean intelligence clearly eclipses that of brown thrashers.
Dogs and Cats
Domestic dogs demonstrate social intelligence, communication with humans, and problem-solving skills exceeding those yet seen in brown thrashers [16]. Even domestic cats appear capable of more complex cognition and social interaction with people than thrashers [17]. On balance, common pets like dogs and cats show greater general intelligence than these birds.
Rodents
Certain rodents demonstrate surprisingly advanced intelligence. For example, laboratory rats show metacognition, insight learning, tool use, and social learning [18]. Overall, the mental flexibility and innovation of intelligent rodent species appears to surpass brown thrashers.
Reptiles and Fish
Most reptiles and fish have much smaller relative brain sizes than birds [19]. There is limited evidence for complex cognition in these groups. Currently, there are no compelling reasons to believe reptiles and fish match or exceed the intelligence of brown thrashers.
Outstanding Questions
Research has only begun to illuminate brown thrasher cognition. Many questions remain about the intelligence of these vocal mimics, including:
- Can they recognize individual humans or brown thrashers?
- How capable are they of insight problem-solving?
- Do they show self-awareness or metacognition when making decisions?
- How large are their vocal repertoires compared to other mimics?
- Can they create new vocalizations through creativity rather than mimicry?
Advanced cognitive testing and neural study would help address these questions and further reveal the intelligence of brown thrashers compared to other species.
Conclusion
Brown thrashers possess moderate general intelligence compared to other birds and animals. They show cognitive skills on par with related mimids but below advanced species like corvids and parrots. Their mimicry skills remain intriguing but require more direct testing for relationships with cognition. Brown thrashers likely rely more on specialized adaptations like spatial memory rather than flexible general intelligence. Further comparative and experimental research can continue clarifying the mental abilities of these widespread mockingbirds of prairie and forest.