Birds have also shown us that we’re not unique in the ways we once thought. The teasing and clowning play in kea tells us that neither the capacity to be aware of other minds nor the wish to play with them belongs to humans alone. Nor are we alone in using aspects of language or tools, or in building complex structures, or in understanding, manipulating, and deceiving other animals. We may, however, be alone in devising reasons why we’re special.
