Bird-brained: Pigeons could be brighter than average three-year-old

But scientists have now discovered that pigeons may not be so bird-brained after all.

In fact, a study looking at the behaviour of the birds suggests they are more intelligent than the average three-year-old.

Feather-headed: Pigeons could be brighter than three-year-olds

Researchers say they have trained pigeons to recognise their own image, a trait only shared in the animal kingdom by dolphins, elephants and large primates such as chimpanzees.

During the study, the pigeons were shown live video footage of themselves and previously recorded pictures of themselves.

Each bird was then shown live images of itself with a delay of between five and seven seconds.

The scientists say they were able to differentiate between the delayed footage and previously recorded film, suggesting they recalled and recognised their actions from moments before.

A previous study involving three-year-olds found the children had trouble telling the difference between the live and pre-recorded footage after the live film was delayed by just two seconds.

Professor Shigeru Watanabe, of Keio University in Tokyo, who led the experiment, said previous research has also found pigeons can discriminate between paintings by Picasso and those of Monet.