Birds that play are smarter than those that don't, new research finds

[Laird]

Birds that play are smarter than those that don't, new research finds

Professor Kaplan said bird play fell into three separate categories and the type of play was also linked to brain size.

"One [category] is solo play, and another is object play, so you have a leaf or stick or stone, or something, and do something with it.

"Then there is social play, which means you have at least one other bird with which you interact," she said.

"There are parameters around that play, that signify it is play.

"Even those birds who just played solo, with little sticks and hung from a tree, or rolled around on the grass, had a larger brain than those who didn't engage in play behaviour at all.

"The brightest birds are social players, then followed by the object players and lowest on the list, the solo players."