(image credit: by Pixabay )
Think pigeons are just feathered freeloaders pecking at crumbs? Think again. Studies show these everyday birds can actually count and understand numerical order, rivaling the skills of monkeys. Here’s why pigeons deserve a lot more respect in the intelligence department.
Pigeons: More Than Meets the Eye
Pigeons, often dismissed as “rats with wings,” have long lived alongside humans in urban environments. But beyond their street-smart survival skills, these birds harbor a hidden talent that might just shock you—they understand abstract numerical concepts.
In a landmark 2011 study published in the journal Science, researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand and Duke University found that pigeons can learn to rank sets of objects based on number, a concept known as ordinal number recognition.
Research Highlight
“We found that pigeons can learn abstract numerical rules,” said lead author Damian Scarf. “This is the same type of numerical competence observed in monkeys—and it’s the first time we’ve seen it in birds at this level.”
(Scarf et al., Science, 2011)
What the Study Involved
The researchers trained pigeons to recognize images with different quantities of items—say, one, two, or three shapes. The birds were then tasked with pecking the images in order from the smallest number of items to the largest.
Even when shown new combinations they had never seen before, the pigeons could still order them correctly, proving that they weren’t just memorizing—they were truly counting.
This places pigeons in rare company among non-human animals with demonstrated numerical understanding, alongside chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just a cool party trick. The ability to understand numerical order is foundational for more complex cognitive processes, like decision-making, categorization, and planning—skills often associated with higher mammals.
Pigeons in the Spotlight
From WWI messenger heroes to mathematical minds, pigeons continue to surprise scientists and animal lovers alike. Their brain-to-body ratio, problem-solving skills, and now numerical logic show that these city birds might just be urban geniuses in disguise.
