We Finally Know Why Birds Are So Freakishly Smart

[SheilaT]

8. So are crows smart or stupid?

I do believe they have a reputation for being smart, but I haven't been around crows in decades.

My swallows. Dumb. Dumb as sticks. Eight years ago a nesting pair build a nest in the overhang right outside my front door. Every year I get a new pair. Not sure how each year's pair finds the nest. I suspect I mostly get one of the babies from last year, whoever gets here first claims the nest.

Two years ago that pair build a second nest in the same overhang. They're separated by a wooden beam. So now, they (and maybe this shows they're smarter than I'm giving them credit for) have essentially a two bedroom apartment, because at night one of the two is with the eggs/babies, and the other is in the first nest. Which wasn't well built to begin with, and I'm slightly surprised it hasn't fallen off, but it's still there.

Anyway, my swallows always raise two sets of three babies each year.