News Life

Pigeons rival primates in number task

Trained on one-two-three, birds can apply the rule of numerical order to such lofty figures as five and nine

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Pigeons, who aren’t even distant uncles to a monkey, have matched primates in a test of learning an abstract numerical concept.

WORKING BIRD Pigeons rival rhesus monkeys at putting groups of shapes in numerical order. The birds also show the primatelike quirk of taking longer and making more mistakes when clusters hold close to the same number of shapes.