Adventure Ausrama Blog

Magpies do learn much of their cognitive skill by the level of intake of energy. Reproductive capacity also improves skills. Australian magpies are very intelligent.  Found all over the country, they love urban areas.  They soon latch on to your pet's food bowl and accept any scraps you throw out.  Gymnorhin tibcen dorsalis live in groups of three or more.  A study was done to find out more about them.  Findings were based on detor-reaching, where food was hidden in transparent containers. Food was also put in the same place and birds were observed. Unfortunately, little detail of how this proved the connection with non-social group performance. The social milieu hypothesis is still the primary causative factor. Just how this and individual discerning cognition advancement can be separated for research is problematic.  They are complex creatures. Bold claims by this study are yet to be justified. Just seeing magpies behave in our gardens shows...

Sheep are not entirely "group" animals. They can be selfish. Each sheep seeks to get to the middle of the pack. The center of the flock is safest from predators. Individual sheep do not care about those on the outside being taken by wolves, for example. Flock behavior has been analysed. The group moves forward as individuals move away from the sheepdog to the center of the group. Flocks are not homogeneous. Sheep continue to struggle to get to the center as the flock as a whole moves. It is now believed that many wild group animals behave in this way. Wildebeests moving away from lions probably act in a similar manner. Pigeons, crabs and seals have been observed acting selfishly. Now the theory is proved. GPS tracking devices were attached to 46 sheep. Then an Australian Kelpie sheep dog took control of the flock. By monitoring sheep movement every second, the belief became solid fact. Sheep either move in a line from the sheep dog to the center of the flock, sca...