Common UK bird can mimic human voices and is 'clever as chimpanzees'

A British garden bird has been found to be so clever it can solve problems and even mimic human voices, according to a professor's discovery.

Several common species have demonstrated thinking abilities that have been observed for centuries, but only recently scientifically proven.

Birds, which are close relatives of dinosaurs, evolved from two-legged theropods billions of years ago.

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Now, a professor has likened the intelligence of certain birds to that of chimpanzees, particularly corvids, members of the crow family.

One such corvid, the vibrant Eurasian jay, has been filmed mimicking a human voice, among other impressively intelligent behaviours, reports the Express.

Jays, with their pink plumage and smattering of blue feathers, are slightly smaller than a magpie - you may have spotted one in your garden, a park or out in the countryside.

These birds adapt well to both urban and rural landscapes, largely due to their intelligence and memory skills which aid their survival.

Professor Nicky Clayton from the Department of Psychology at Cambridge University has conducted 'pioneering research' into the cognitive power of jays and other corvids, yielding astonishing results.

The university has 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, were also found to be highly intelligent with powerful cognitive abilities, according to the research.

These birds are capable of problem-solving, and Professor Nicky Clayton has compared their intelligence to that of chimpanzees. The university posted a video on YouTube demonstrating the remarkable intellect of these feathered creatures.

In the video, the professor discusses 'vocal frolicking', explaining how jays will 'share food with a partner' and even communicate when they've had enough of a particular food and desire something different.

The expert also highlighted their ability to 'hide food, store it and remember over long periods of time where they've hidden it'.

She said in the video experiments conducted with jays have 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 has affectionately dubbed jays as 'feathered apes', acknowledging their intelligence and long-lasting memories. Until this groundbreaking research with corvids, only humans and chimpanzees had passed these types of intelligence tests.

The research conducted by Cambridge University provided the first-ever evidence of self-control, memory and intelligence in these birds.