A Bird's IQ

Name: A Bird's IQ
Price: 36.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781761381423

innovation, intelligence, and problem-solving in the avian world

Louis Lefebvre

$36.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Scribe Publications
02 June 2026

Mathematics & Sciences; Popular science; Evolution; Zoology & animal sciences; Wildlife: birds & birdwatching

'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.

'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

'A Bird's IQ is an amazing avian adventure. It provides the reader with gorgeous glimpses into the mysteries and magic of bird brains and behaviour, and in a way that integrates the author's passion and academic knowledge of the field, both scientifically and artistically. Like a profound magic effect, there are hidden gems on every page, tailored to both the general public and the in-depth expert. A page turner!' -Nicky Clayton, Fellow of the Royal Society and Professor of Comparative Cognition, University of Cambridge

'With equal measures of joyful curiosity and scientific precision, A Bird's IQ maps the capacity of birds for discovery, innovation and learning. You will never look at those featherheads in quite the same way again.' -Candace Savage, author of Bird Brains

By: Louis Lefebvre
Imprint: Scribe Publications
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 1mm, Width: 1mm,
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781761381423
ISBN 10: 1761381423
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 02 June 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Louis Lefebvre (Author) Louis Lefebvre is professor emeritus of biology at McGill University and associate researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He was awarded the Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire prize by the French Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Lefebvre is the author of four novels written in French, two of which were finalists for Canada's Governor General's Awards.