Ask a Birder

Ask a Birder: Do birds play?

April 2, 2025 by Kai Pflug No Comments

The short answer is yes – and I will spare you a long explanation how playing needs to be defined first before addressing the issue.

The longer answer addresses some additional questions, namely

What kinds of play do birds do?

  • Playing with objects such as sticks and leaves – for example, tossing or catching these objects
  • Social play, such as chasing, mock fighting, playing tag
  • Aerial acrobatics such as flipping or swooping

Which bird species are particularly playful?

  • Parrots (for example, African Grey Parrots, Keas)
  • Crows and Ravens
  • Magpies

Why do birds play?

  • Mental development/learning
  • Exercise
  • Social bonding
  • Practicing of skills

What does play indicate about the birds?

Research on Australian birds found that both species engaging in social and only non-social play have larger brain sizes than non-playing species. In addition, species engaging in social play have on average longer lifespans than other species. The lead researcher claims that play behavior rather than tool use is strongly correlated with brain size – though there is quite a bit of overlap between the two behaviors, and the study only looked at Australian species.

Bonus Question: Why is all the art I create with AI always so incredibly ugly?

Written by Kai Pflug
Kai has been living in Shanghai for 21 years. He only became interested in birds in China – so he is much more familiar with birds in China than with those in Germany. While he will only ever be an average birder, he aims to be a good bird photographer and has created a website with bird photos as proof. He hopes not too many clients of his consulting company read this blog, as they will doubt his dedication to providing consulting services related to China`s chemical industry. Whenever he wants to shock other birders, he tells them his (indoor) cats can distinguish several warblers by taste.