It was time for Aldo's weekly health check so we went into the smallest, windowless room at the Museum: the staff bathroom. Since I needed to take his equipment off to apply leather conditioner, this was the safest spot in case he got scared and flew off my glove. I carefully rubbed grease into his jesses while Aldo looked at himself in the mirror.
I had to wonder: does he understand who is looking back at him in the mirror?
Self-recognition research in animal cognition goes back to 1970 when a researcher showed that chimpanzees will use a mirror to inspect a spot of dye applied to their face. It is also believed that orangutans, dolphins, and elephants can recognize themselves reflected in a mirror. Humans, of course, can also pass this test, but not until children are 18 months old.
Can birds pass the test? One study found that magpies used a mirror, but research on other species is less conclusive.
To make Aldo's mirror perception more complicated, he is a human imprint. He was raised by people and essentially learned that he is one, too. It may be impossible for him to recognize himself if he identifies as a human, not the bird he sees reflected.
My best guess is that Aldo sees a stranger when he sees himself in the mirror. He must think it's a friendly stranger, though, since he often trills when he sees that handsome bird looking back at him!
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