{"product_id":"a-birds-iq-innovation-intelligence-and-problem-solving-in-the-avian-world","title":"A Bird's IQ: Innovation, Intelligence, and Problem Solving in the Avian World","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLouis Lefebvre\u003c\/b\u003e is professor emeritus of biology at McGill University and associate researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He was awarded the Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire prize by the French Society for the Study of Animal Behavior. Lefebvre is the author of four novels written in French, two of which were finalists for the Governor General's Awards. He lives in Montreal, Québec. \n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eINTRODUCTION: NAKED APES, FEATHERLESS CROWS \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e1 BUT DO THEY HAVE A CULTURE? \n\u003cbr\u003e2 BULLFINCHES, GRASSQUITS, AND DARWIN'S FINCHES \n\u003cbr\u003e3 INNOVATE OR DIE: HOW IS INNOVATION SELECTED? \n\u003cbr\u003e4 ONE INTELLIGENCE OR MANY? \n\u003cbr\u003e5 CITY BIRDS \n\u003cbr\u003e6 ON LAND AND WATER \n\u003cbr\u003e7 KILLER INNOVATORS: RAPTORS \n\u003cbr\u003e8 THE BIGGEST BRAINS OF ALL: PARROTS \n\u003cbr\u003e9 INTELLIGENCE SUPERSTARS: CORVIDS \n\u003cbr\u003e10 THE REAL BIRDBRAINS \n\u003cbr\u003eEPILOGUE \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eACKNOWLEDGMENTS \n\u003cbr\u003eNOTES \n\u003cbr\u003eFURTHER READING \n\u003cbr\u003eINDEX \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Lefebvre's entry into the crowded canon on avian intelligence is sure to surprise even seasoned birders... Lefebvre excels at distilling complicated research into accessible prose, and his respect for his subjects shines through.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eAudubon Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Louis Lefebvre, a professor emeritus of biology at McGill University who's compiled a database of more than 4,400 innovative behaviors from nearly 1,700 avian species. And far from being a mere cataloger, Mr. Lefebvre uses this data in his fascinating book, A Bird's IQ: Innovation, Intelligence, and Problem Solving in the Avian World, to examine some intriguing questions: 'Are birds intelligent and, if so, does this intelligence resemble ours?'\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Sam Kean, \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Lefebvre, who has spent decades conducting research on bird intelligence, argues that some brainy avians are remarkably similar in their cognitive capacity to primates such as ourselves.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Nature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This gem of a book is a must-read encyclopedia packed with the latest science and vivid storytelling.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Marc Bekoff, \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e Psychology Today\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[A Bird's IQ] shares the tricks, inventions, and astonishing feats of birds around the world as it examines their intelligence. ... Bird lovers will find a lot to digest, while readers who are interested in animal intelligence will enjoy this new perspective on the topic.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Animal behaviorist Lefebvre pens a vivid book on avian intelligence...this lively look at the myriad ways birds have found to exploit their environment and find their food is full of fascinating science and engaging anecdotes.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, \n\u003cb\u003eSTARRED review\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Packed with enlightening case studies of avian ingenuity, this will make readers rethink the meaning of birdbrained.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Publishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"With equal measures of joyful curiosity and scientific precision, \n\u003ci\u003eA Bird's IQ\u003c\/i\u003e maps the capacity of birds for discovery, innovation and learning. You will never look at those featherheads in quite the same way again.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Candace Savage, author of \u003ci\u003eBird Brains\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eA Bird's IQ\u003c\/i\u003e is an amazing avian adventure. It provides the reader with gorgeous glimpses into the mysteries and magic of bird brains and behavior, and in a way that integrates the author's passion and academic knowledge of the field, both scientifically and artistically. Like a profound magic effect, there are hidden gems on every page, tailored to both the general public and the in-depth expert. A page turner!\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Nicky Clayton, Fellow of the Royal Society and Professor of Comparative Cognition, University of Cambridge\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Lefebvre has a talent for distilling complicated research into digestible prose, even when discussing complex topics, such as how the level of NMDA 2B receptor expression relates to a species' rate of innovation, making this book suitable for both casual birders and scientists alike.... A complete and informative book on bird intelligence.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This book is a gem, witty, entertaining, insightful, and deeply informative--a must-read for anyone interested in birds or brains. I learned something new on every page and came away with a more profound understanding of birds and wonder at their astonishing mental complexity and capacities.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Jennifer Ackerman, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Genius of Birds\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWhat an Owl Knows\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Bird Way\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"This book is a gem, witty, entertaining, insightful, and deeply informative--a must-read for anyone interested in birds or brains.\" JENNIFER ACKERMAN, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Genius of Birds\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWhat an Owl Knows\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Bird Way\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"A vivid book on avian intelligence.\"--\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, STARRED Review\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDiscover the secret intelligence of birds, revealed by one of the world's leading researchers in avian innovation.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSurveying a wide variety of birds, including crows, finches, tits, and parrots, Louis Lefebvre, a world-renowned expert in animal behavior, describes the remarkable innovations and problem-solving abilities of species often dismissed as \"featherbrains.\" From crows using cars as nutcrackers to cockatoos crafting tools, Lefebvre reveals how birds exhibit creativity, social learning, and even cultural transmission--traits once thought to be exclusive to humans and other primates. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBlending 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. Using his encyclopedic knowledge, Lefebvre answers questions such as: \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen a bird species learns a new technique, how do their innovations spread?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy is research on bird cognition being used to train AI models and even robots?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat makes certain birds endlessly innovative while others stubbornly repeat the same behaviors?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eWith vivid storytelling and groundbreaking insights, \n\u003ci\u003eA Bird's IQ\u003c\/i\u003e invites readers to reconsider their perceptions, celebrating the ingenuity of birds and highlighting the interconnectedness of all intelligent life. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781778402647, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/15\/2026 (EAN 9781778402647, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/02\/2026 (EAN 9781778402647, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 pg. 85 (EAN 9781778402647, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Greystone Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496057372950,"sku":"9781778402647","price":33.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781778402647.jpg?v=1783052090","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/a-birds-iq-innovation-intelligence-and-problem-solving-in-the-avian-world","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}