What Can Pigeons Do Better Than Humans? | QI

This clip is from QI Series P, Episode 1, 'Panimals' with Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies, Danny Baker, Teri Hatcher and Phill Jupitus.

[louispenn]

Camera operator was the funniest out of the whole panel 😂

[EdgyShooter]

I love how the camera shake was clearly unplanned as it took Sandy a moment to realise what just happened 😂

[MrBerryK]

I was actually expecting this:
SANDI: What can pigeons do better than people?
ALAN: Fly?

[BooksandArmchair]

I love the footage we’ve seen from scientists when they attach GoPro’s to various species of animals. Absolutely phenomenal seeing the world from their POV.

[b_uppy]

Love the camera lessons sass! Thank you Sandy for having a sense of humor as well.

[shanerooney]

"a pigeon can't operate a camera"
"He could grip it... With his feet."
"It's not a question of where he grips it. it's a problem of weight ratios. A 5 ounces pigeon can not carry a 1 pound camera."

[HCsGeny]

I'm with Phill on this one. If the camera can only take one picture, how did it happen exactly when the pigeon was at the restaurant?

[qwertyTRiG]

One of the early videos from Smarter Every Day was about this phenomenon in chickens. If you hold a chicken and move it around, its head remains remarkably still. It's a fun watch.

[sstills]

I was hoping they’d show the camera. It would have to pretty small for a pigeon to carry it. I’m surprised they had tiny cameras back then.

[joyl]

I was thinking it would have to do with their much faster perception and responses. Cool to know there is another aspect they excel at!

[allenmorgan]

They can also mate several times a day while balancing on our fence. I couldn't manage once.

[NewMessage]

We call that 'Doing the - BRRT - BRRT - pigeon' down on Sesame Street.

[EebstertheGreat]

It's true that researchers think birds bob their heads in order to stabilize the visual field, but it's not true that birds cannot move their eyes. They certainly can and do move their eyes, they just also move their heads.

[circomnia]

What Can Pigeons Do Better Than Humans?

Well....fly?

[scurvydog]

Sandy: which people in this studio should we replace with pigeons
Me: the Dutch?

[daedalus_v]

My vote was for: "shit on a windscreen from a height of 20m"

[ThePixel]

I thought this was about the pigeon guided bomb

[wordreet]

As others have mentioned, I' surprised there were any cameras small and light enough for a pigeon back then.
Also, I just watched some videos of other birds, and some others do the same head movement. But it's obvious now I think of it, only the species that can "walk" do it, rather than just hop like Sparrows.

[gurrrn]

Teri Hatcher! Wonder if they’re still real.

[shourya]

An Australian pigeon could also bowl better than any human being....563 wickets to be precise.