Alice Auersperg is an Austrian cognitive biologist specializing in the evolution of intelligence in birds. Her research is focused on the physical cognition, play behavior, problem-solving and tool-making abilities in

parrots Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

and

corvids Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family or corvids. Currently, 13 ...

. Since 2011, she has been managing the Goffin Lab of Comparative Cognition at the Messerli Research Institute of the

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna The University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (German: ''Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien'' - in short: VUW) was founded in 1767 as the world's third school for veterinary medicine (after Lyon and Alfort) by Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is ...

in Austria, where she has extensively studied the intelligence of the

Tanimbar corella The Tanimbar corella (''Cacatua goffiniana''), also known as Goffin's cockatoo or Tanimbar cockatoo, is a species of cockatoo Endemism in birds, endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat, and Selaru, List of islands of Indonesia, all islands in the T ...

, also known as Goffin's cockatoo. Auersperg graduated from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

in 2011. She wrote her thesis on the

spatial awareness Spatial contextual awareness consociates contextual information such as an individual's or sensor's location, activity, the time of day, and proximity to other people or objects and devices.Chen, Guanling, and David Kotz. 2000. A Survey of Context ...

of kea (''Nestor notabilis''). She has also published research on the abilities of corvids, parrots, and

orangutans Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ' ...

to create tools in order to solve problems and complete tasks. In 2021, she was awarded both the Science Prize of the State of Lower Austria and the Kardinal Innitzer Promotion Prize. Her first Book was published in Feb.2025
"Der Erfindergeist der Tiere"

References

External links

Dr. Alice Auersperg's Goffin Lab
at the Messerli Research Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:Auersperg, Alice 21st-century Austrian biologists Austrian ornithologists Evolutionary biologists University of Vienna alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Austrian women biologists

See also

References

External links