The debate has lasted the entire day. Each of the three male eaglesKnown as tercels. A female eagle is called a formel. has made his claim at becoming the solitary female's mate. But the other birds complain the process is taking too long. "Hold your tongues there!" demands the judge. She then decrees that each type of bird must choose a representative to deliver its verdict.

This is a scene from Geoffrey ChaucerSometimes referred to as the father of English poetry, he is best known for The Canterbury Tales.'s 14th Century poem The Parliament of Fowls. New research suggests that birds do actually follow democratic processes.

One question which has puzzled scientists is how a flock of jackdawsThe birds are closely related to crows and ravens, but usually smaller. All three belong to the corvid family.  all decide to leave their roosts at the same time.

A team from Exeter University attached recording devices to trees where the birds roost. They analysed the recordings to see how the noise made by the jackdaws corresponded to when they left the trees.

They played the recordings back to the jackdaws. They found that the sound of the recorded birds persuaded the real ones to take to the air.

"When a bird calls, it's casting a vote or signalling it wants to leave," says the team's leader, Professor Alex Thornton. Whether the flock agrees depends on two things: how loud the noise is and how quickly it builds up. Once a decision is made, the birds usually launch within five seconds.

Other scientists have studied the flight of pigeons, using GPS trackers attached to tiny backpacks. They found that most of the flock share in its decisions, though some birds can be identified as leaders.

Animals act democratically when it comes to mass movement. Eurasian red deerOne of the largest species of deer. They are found across Europe, western Asia and in parts of North Africa.  spend a lot of time lying down to ruminateBring food up from the stomach and chew it again. When applied to humans it means to think something over for a long time., but after a while get up and go in search of fresh grazing. Scientists have established that the herd starts to move when 60% of adults have stood up.

An experiment with cockroaches established they both co-operate and avoid too much competition. When 50 of them were presented with a choice of three shelters, they quickly split into two groups of 25, each of which occupied one shelter. The third shelter was left empty.

When a colony of bees becomes too big for its hive, half the bees leave - and the choice of where they move to appears to be democratic.

Hundreds of scouts are sent out in search of a new location, each one reports back by performing a danceKnown as the "waggle dance", it includes information on how far away the suggested spot is, and in which direction. in front of the other bees. Eventually, the swarm makes a group decision.

Yes: They have very straightforward rules which allow them to make a quick decision and stick to it. They manage to do without the deal-making and deceit which play a large part in human politics.

No: They can only make very basic decisions. Humans hold very detailed discussions, suggest a wider range of solutions and adapt themselves more easily to changing circumstances.

Or... The two cannot really be compared. Animals act on instinct, whereas decision-making for humans is an intellectual process. "Politics" implies a formal system which animals do not have.