A Bird's IQ
Author: Lefebvre, Louis
ISBN: 9781761381423
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Year first published: 02 Jun 2026
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback / softback
'Discover the secret intelligence of birds, revealed by one of the world's leading researchers in avian innovation.'
Surveying a wide variety of birds, including crows, finches, tits, and parrots, Louis Lefebvre, a world-renowned expert in animal behaviour, 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.
Blending 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 behaviour yields an 'innovation quotient' widely used by researchers to measure and rank how innovative a bird species is. Using his encyclopaedic knowledge, Lefebvre answers questions such as-
With vivid storytelling and groundbreaking insights, A Bird's IQ invites readers to reconsider their perceptions, celebrating the ingenuity of birds and highlighting the interconnectedness of all intelligent life.
'Louis Lefebvre, a professor emeritus of biology at McGill University who's compiled a database of more than 4,400 innovative behaviours from nearly 1,700 avian species. And far from being a mere cataloguer, Mr. Lefebvre uses this data in his fascinating book to examine some intriguing questions- "Are birds intelligent and, if so, does this intelligence resemble ours?"'
-Sam Kean, Wall Street Journal
'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.'
-Nature
'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.'
-Jennifer Ackerman, New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, What an Owl Knows, and The Bird Way
ISBN: 9781761381423
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Year first published: 02 Jun 2026
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback / softback
'Discover the secret intelligence of birds, revealed by one of the world's leading researchers in avian innovation.'
Surveying a wide variety of birds, including crows, finches, tits, and parrots, Louis Lefebvre, a world-renowned expert in animal behaviour, 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.
Blending 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 behaviour yields an 'innovation quotient' widely used by researchers to measure and rank how innovative a bird species is. Using his encyclopaedic knowledge, Lefebvre answers questions such as-
- When a bird species learns a new technique, how do their innovations spread?
- Why is research on bird cognition being used to train AI models and even robots?
- What makes certain birds endlessly innovative while others stubbornly repeat the same behaviours?
With vivid storytelling and groundbreaking insights, A Bird's IQ invites readers to reconsider their perceptions, celebrating the ingenuity of birds and highlighting the interconnectedness of all intelligent life.
'Louis Lefebvre, a professor emeritus of biology at McGill University who's compiled a database of more than 4,400 innovative behaviours from nearly 1,700 avian species. And far from being a mere cataloguer, Mr. Lefebvre uses this data in his fascinating book to examine some intriguing questions- "Are birds intelligent and, if so, does this intelligence resemble ours?"'
-Sam Kean, Wall Street Journal
'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.'
-Nature
'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.'
-Jennifer Ackerman, New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, What an Owl Knows, and The Bird Way
