One Planet News: Genius birds
Meet the Corvids
By Annette J Beveridge
When we think of intelligent animals, we often think about primates or dolphins but some of the brightest minds in the animal kingdom belong to the corvids.
Corvids are a family of birds that includes crows, ravens, magpies, jackdaws, jays and rooks. With brains to rival chimpanzees and behaviour that often seems eerily human, corvids are redefining how we understand animal intelligence.
Meet the Corvids
Corvids are found the world over. They adapt to environments, including city streets or remote forests. They’re easily recognised by their stocky bodies, strong beaks, and glossy plumage - often black, though many species, like jays, sport vibrant blues and whites. But what sets them apart is their extraordinary brainpower.
Corvids have some of the largest brains relative to body size among birds, and their brains are packed with neurons in the forebrain, an area associated with complex thought in humans. In fact, studies show that the brain-to-body ratio of a raven is comparable to that of great apes.
Signs of Intelligence
1. Tool Use and Problem Solving
Some corvids, especially New Caledonian crows, are famous for making and using tools. These birds can bend sticks into hooks, use leaves as tweezers, and even plan multiple steps to get food. In laboratory settings, they’ve solved puzzles that would stump a young child.
2. Memory Masters
Jays and nutcrackers can remember thousands of food caches they have hidden across large territories, months after hiding them. Not only do they recall locations, but they also remember what kind of food is stored where, and how long it will last before spoiling.
3. Social Intelligence
Corvids live in complex social groups and often engage in behaviour that suggests a theory of mind - the ability to understand what others know or intend. For example, a crow that notices another crow watching it hide food will sometimes move the stash later to prevent theft.
4. Play and Emotion
Ravens have been observed sliding down snowy roofs for fun, playing games with each other, and even making toys out of sticks and objects. They also show signs of grief, gathering around dead companions in what some researchers call “funeral-like” behaviour.
Communication Skills
Corvids have a wide range of calls and vocalisations. Many are learned and used in specific contexts. Some species can even mimic human speech, like ravens and magpies. Crows have regional dialects and use different calls to warn of specific predators, alerting other animals in the area.
Researchers are beginning to believe that their vocal communication may be more complex than previously imagined, involving intentional signalling rather than instinctive noise-making.
Adaptability in a Changing World
Corvids are extremely adaptable, thriving in both wild and urban environments. Crows, for instance, are known to drop nuts onto roads so cars will crack them open, then wait for traffic to stop before retrieving the food. In Japan, crows use city traffic patterns in precisely this way, showing that they can learn from human behaviour and adapt accordingly.
Read more: Unpredictable and dangerous
Their success in human-dominated landscapes shows a remarkable ability to learn and experiment, and they have problem-solving traits that are increasingly vital in a rapidly changing world.
A New Understanding of Bird Brains
For centuries, the term “bird brain” was an insult. But corvids have flipped that idea on its head. They challenge our assumptions about intelligence, showing that big brains and social complexity are not limited to mammals. In fact, the cognitive abilities of some corvids rival those of monkeys and even young human children.
Their behaviour invites us to rethink the boundaries of intelligence in the animal kingdom and to marvel at the mysterious minds behind those dark, watchful eyes.
Final Thought
Whether they’re solving puzzles, mourning their dead, or outsmarting traffic, corvids show us that nature’s intelligence wears many forms. These brilliant birds are not only survivors, they are innovators, and thinkers.
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