Pigeons match primates in number sense
Kate Shaw writing for Ars Technica:
Overall, the birds performed about as well as the rhesus monkeys had in the original experiment. Both species are certainly capable of learning a simple mathematical rule, then using that rule in a more abstract sense to handle new values.
Can’t wait for the first avian mathematician.
More than 100 birds found poisoned with illegal insecticide at gated community of Arrowcreek
Here’s some local news for me, but when you read this, I think you’ll agree with me that what the fuck is this. Jaclyn O’Malley reporting for the Reno Gazette-Journal:
Someone has caused the death of more than 100 birds — some protected species — by intentionally leaving out poisoned birdseed in the gated community of Arrowcreek that was soaked or dusted with an illegal insecticide, state wildlife and agriculture officials said Friday.
…
Nevada Department of Agriculture Environmental Scientist Jon Carpenter said worbex was used until the 1980s by farmers and ranchers before it was banned. It is extremely toxic to birds. He said birds who ate the poisoned seeds would have died quickly.
“Our concerns are that this insecticide has a long life,” Carpenter said. “It kills the birds, and then the chemicals are still good. Another animal feeding on the dead or dying bird will likely become sick or die.
“It’s not like you can go to your ACE Hardware store and get it off the shelf,” he said. “It’s likely this person has close ties to agriculture, ranching and livestock production and is knowledgeable about what this does to birds. Or they know someone who had it.”
What kind of thought process could possibly lead to this? Actually, scratch that. I do not want to know.