Cathleen O’GradyTiny, feisty rufous hummingbirds are known for their long migrations, which take them up and down the length of North America each year.
Now, they have a new claim to fame: They can keep track of particularly juicy flowers depending on where they appear—first, second, or even fourth—in a line-up of blooms.
Although this understanding of “numerical order” may sound simple, it’s a complex skill that may help hummingbirds remember the easiest routes between nectar-rich flowers.
It’s also the first time researchers have seen the ability in a wild vertebrate.It’s a “really impressive” study says Stuart Watson, an animal cognition researcher at the University of Zürich who was not involved with the work.Lots of animals can count,.