Research: Pigeons can be taught to Read read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/924-research-pigeons-can-be-taught-to-read

A new study has suggested that pigeons can be taught to read, and might be able to distinguish ‘words’ from ‘non-words’.

According to a new study, Pigeons may be smarter than previously thought as they have the ability to 'read'. This makes pigeons one of the few animals on Earth that have been taught to read.

The study is said to be the first to prove than a non-primate species has 'orthographic abilities' - which is the ability to recognise a three-dimensional object represented in two dimensions, such as a word.

The researchers believe that a controversial theory called 'neuronal recycling' may account for the birds' reading ability. 

Scientists from the University of Otago, New Zealand and Ruhr University in Germany, a group of 18 pigeons (Columba livia) was whittled down to just four of the brainiest birds, which were trained over the course of eight months. The pigeons eventually learned that food follows the flashing of the light, causing them to peck the light in anticipation of a snack.

The video below shows how the process works.