Hardship = smarts

[Pajarita]

See this: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 094126.htm

And, if one goes by this, it makes sense that quakers are so very intelligent but ALL parrots are good at problem solving but not all live in hard conditions so I wonder why nature made them so smart... What was it that influenced this trait during evolution of all four branches?

[Wolf]

Even in tropical locations where there is an abundance of food for parrots, with temperature ranges ideal for procreation and what appears to be easy living conditions, there are many and varied hardships and difficulties that they must contend with. First there is competition for the food and nesting sites and not just from other parrots, and then with such ideal conditions there would also be an increase in both the numbers as well as the variety of predators, the most dangerous of which is us.
When one stops to consider things beyond just the surface appearances I am sure that it will be found that there are hardships aplenty for parrots to deal with.