Chickens, like many other animals, are resplendently different from one another. They can be therapy birds, worried mothers, helpful friends, impressive memorizers, and more, says anthropologist and writer Barbara J. King.

They’ve become synonymous with the failure to adapt, but dinosaurs were actually marvels of speed, size, power and versatility, explains paleontologist Kenneth Lacovera. And they could represent one of our best hopes for the future.

Before you answer “Yes!” — look at these three quick scenarios. And if you learn you’re a bit bird-brained, remember: intelligence is all relative, says psychologist Ben Ambridge.

They devour crops and cattle feed and nab other birds’ nesting sites. However, starlings can actually show us how to live, says nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt.