If somebody does you wrong , you ’ll plausibly remember their face . But what if the offender was a qat , or a Pisces ? Recognizing individuals from other metal money is not easy , but it ’s not impossible — at least , not for skuas . A new discipline published in the journalAnimal Cognitionshows that the Antarctic birds identified and attacked any researcher who had previously touched their nests .
In late age , scientists have learned that other birds can recognize individual people . Crows , magpie , and mockingbirds have all been shown to attack hoi polloi who have inconvenience oneself them before . But crows , magpies , and mockingbirds spend a lot of time around people , and so it pretend sense that they ’d build up these specialised defensive natural endowment .
But the brown skua ( Stercorarius antarcticus ) last in Antarctica — a place that ’s been fairly human - innocent for a long clock time . Only in the last half - century or so have humankind really made their mien in Antarctica known . So when a team of South Korean researchers set out to meditate the bonxie ’ home ground , they were not expecting to become the ( very reasonable ) objects of bird grudge .
The scientist had earlier intended to examine the wench ’ nests once a week and register their observations . But presently after they started their hebdomadal medical exam , the onrush by skua grownup lead off — and , the investigator realized , it seemed personal . Skuas are big birds , with wingspans that can reach more than 5 fundament , so these attacks were not trivial .
To make the most of this unexpected demeanor , the squad incorporated the attack patterns into their research , taking notes each time the hiss became aggressive .
They found that a single researcher only had to visit a nest three to five time before they terminate up on the birds ’ strike list . To test whether the attack really were personalise , the squad begin sending two researcher on nest visits : one who had bothered the birds before , and a neutral person who the Bronx cheer had never encounter . for certain enough , the electroneutral person could set about and walk away safely , but the known nest - invader were always attacked , with yelling , belligerent flight , and kicks to the head .
This was true even when the researchers don monovular clothing , and even in crowds . The bird still only attacked the wrongdoer and not the innocent bystanders .
“ Even when I change my champaign wearing apparel , they travel along me , ” researcher Yeong - Deok Hansaidin a press affirmation . " The birds seemed to know me no matter what I outwear . " The researchers think the hoot were usingfacial featuresand bearing to tell the people aside .
Skuas are not the only birds in the area , but they are the only one that seem to be able to spot people they do n’t like . The researchers say that ’s probably because they ’re smarter than their neighbour ; scientist had previously see skuas swiping intellectual nourishment from even bigger raspberry , and they ’ve even been known to barge in on nursing seal tosteal their bosom milk .
