It's interesting to think of how bird intelligence is related to their perspective. Perching high in branches and taking to the skies allows them to see a large overview of the many activities of other life forms. They can manage to get relatively safe vantage points and just watch. The better they get at predicting what the low animals on the surface are doing, the more opportunities that they have to sneak in and sneak out safely to get a meal. Being stuck on the surface as a mammal means a more immediate, limited-scope, fight-or-flight reaction dominates daily activities, versus a game-board view of many interactions.
Bird intelligence makes a lot more sense in that context.
Bird intelligence makes a lot more sense in that context.