From two avian neurobiologists, a captivating deep dive into the mechanisms that control avian behavior.
From two avian neurobiologists, a captivating deep dive into the mechanisms that control avian behavior.
The last few decades have produced extensive research on the neural mechanisms of avian behavior. Bird Brains and Behavior marries the enthusiasm of bird enthusiasts for the what, how, and why of avian behavior with the scientific literature on avian biology, offering the newest research in an accessible manner. Georg Striedter and Andrew Iwaniuk focus on a wide variety of behaviors, ranging from daily and seasonal rhythms to complex cognition. Importantly, avian behavior and mechanisms are placed in the context of evolutionary history, stressing that many are unique to birds and often found in only a subset of species.
By:
Georg F. Striedter,
Andrew Iwaniuk
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9780262552738
ISBN 10: 0262552736
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 09 September 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Chapter 1: And Introduction to Birds and their Brains 1.1 Birds in the Vertebrate Family Tree 1.2 Phylogeny of Modern Birds 1.3—Avian Brain Size and Neuron Density 1.4—Avian Brain Organization 1.5—Conclusion: Different, yet not so Different Chapter 2: Daily and Seasonal Rhythms 2.1—Circadian Rhythms 2.2—Sleep in Birds 2.3—Seasonal Changes in Brains and Behavior Chapter 3: Locomotion and Posture Control 3.1—Flight 3.2—Walking and Running 3.3—Standing Still Chapter 4: Homing and Migration 4.1—Spatial Orientation and Navigation: Key Concepts 4.2—The Compass Senses of Birds 4.3—Navigational Maps 4.4—Brain Pathways for Orientation and Navigation 4.5—Many Unanswered Questions Chapter 5: Feeding and Storing Food 5.1—Ground-feeding Birds 5.2—Hunting on the Wing 5.3—Owls Hunting at Night 5.4—Searching for Hidden Food 5.5—Food Storing and Retrieval 5.6—Appetite Regulation Chapter 6: Sex and Social Behavior 6.1 Sex Determination and Sexual Differentiation 6.2—Sex Differences in the Brain 6.3—Neural Control of Song 6.4—Vocal Control in Non-songbirds 6.5—Non-vocal Displays 6.6—Species, Sex, and Kin Recognition 6.7—Nesting and Parental Care 6.8—To Flock or not to Flock Chapter 7: Complex Cognition 7.1—The Surprising Complexity of Avian Brains and Cognition 7.2—Memories of What, Where, When 7.3—Feeding Innovations and Tool Use 7.4—Social Intelligence 7.5—An Avian “Prefrontal Cortex”? 7.6—Homology versus Analogy Chapter 8: The Complex Relationship Between Birds and Us 8.1—Hunting 8.2—Domestication 8.3—Anthropogenic Effects 8.4—Is there a Bright Side? Appendix: Homologies of the Avian Pallium A.1–Pallium versus Subpallium A.2—Hippocampus A.3—Hyperpallium A.4—Mesopallium A.5—Nido- and Arcopallium A.6—Olfactory Cortex A.7—Functional Implications Related Videos and Further Reading Appendix
Georg F. Striedter is Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. His books include Principles of Brain Evolution, Brains Through Time- A Natural History of Vertebrates, and Model Systems in Biology (MIT Press). Andrew N. Iwaniuk is Professor at the University of Lethbridge. He has published more than 100 research articles, most of which are on bird brains and behavior.
