What does the brain of a Starling and a human have in common that allows them to learn grammar?  One possibility is the FOXP2 gene -- remarkably similar in both humans and songbirds.  This gene is a hotspot of human evolution since our lineage split away from the rest of the great apes, and damage to the gene can cause the loss of speech in unfortunate families.  It could be that Starlings are just 7 amino acids away from conversational English!

Perhaps you're confident that human civilization sets us high above the humble starling.  On the other hand, starlings can swarm into flocks of tens of thousands that behave almost as if governed by a single mind. In the century since their introduction in America, they have come one of the most common American birds -- and in those vast, chattering clouds -- who can guess what is being discussed?