A study of magpies showed that the birds recognized themselves in the mirror. This illustration shows signs of self-recognition: a magpie attempting to reach a paint mark on its chest, first with its beak and then with its foot. Full story.
Magpies sing a self-reflective tune to
themselves that until now has gone unheard. When placed in front of a mirror, these
songbirds realize that they’re looking at themselves, raising the possibility
that they have independently evolved the brain power to support a basic form of
self-recognition, a new study suggests.
Magpies are the first non-mammal to
demonstrate a rudimentary affinity for self-recognition
Magpies and other social birds that
possess large brains with expanded cortical-like areas should display at least
some level of self-recognition, remarks Irene Pepperberg of Brandeis University
in Waltham, Mass.
clipped from: www.sciencenews.org 
