Pigeons master touchscreen intelligence test

Pigeons—the rats of the winged world—have shown an aptitude for using touchscreens to carry out an intelligence test, according to psychology research from the University of Iowa.

In a study led by Edward Wasserman, the pigeons were given a "string task." This is a common test of intelligence that involves attaching a treat to one of two strings and seeing if the participant can win the treat by pulling the right string.

In this case, the experiment was brought into the digital age with a touchscreen interface showing two buttons and two virtual dishes of food. When the birds pecked the correct button on the screen, the virtual bowl would move a bit closer. After continually pecking at the button connected to the virtual food, the birds would be rewarded with a real edible treat.