Common UK birds can speak even mimicking human voices

A British garden bird is so clever it can solve problems 'mimic human voices', a professor has discovered.

Several common species have a thinking ability which has been noted over centuries, but only recently scientifically proven.

Birds are close relatives to dinosaurs, those colourful creatures you spot in your garden evolved from two-legged theropods billions of years ago.

Now, a professor has described certain birds as being 'clever as chimpanzees', primarily corvids which are members of the crow family.

One corvid, the colourful Eurasian jay has been filmed mimicking a human voice, as well as other fascinatingly clever behaviour.

Jays have pink plumage and a few blue feathers, they are slightly smaller than a magpie - and you may have seen one in your garden, a park or out in the countryside.

These birds adapt well to urban or rural landscapes, largely due to their cleverness and memory ability which helps them survive.

Professor Nicky Clayton from the Department of Psychology at Cambridge University has carried out 'pioneering research' into the thinking power of jays and other corvids with amazing results recorded.

The university described these birds as 'a surprisingly clever corvid with the ability to mimic human voices'.

Other members of the crow family including jackdaws, ravens and magpies are also very intelligent with powerful thinking abilities, the research found.

They are able to problem-solve and Professor Nicky Clayton described them as being clever as chimpanzees, the university shared a video on YouTube which shows just how intelligent these feathered friends are.

In the video, the professor talks about 'vocal frolicking', how the jays will 'share food with a partner' even telling their mate when they have had enough of a certain foodstuff - and want something else.

They also have an ability to 'hide food, store it and remember over long periods of time where they've hidden it', the expert said.

She said, , that all the experiments done with jays have even uncovered 'very complex secretive songs like a series of whispers'.

The professor added: "Jays are virtuoso mimics and they incorporate all kinds of interesting sounds into their songs including human speech. Romero (the jay in the video) for example will sing 'I love you' on a good day."

Cambridge University have nicknamed jays 'feathered apes' in a reference to their intelligence and long lasting memories as only humans and chimpanzees had passed these kinds of intelligence tests before this pioneering research with corvids.

The research carried out by Cambridge University gave the first ever evidence that self-control, memory and intelligence existed in these birds.