Corvids have fascinated humans throughout history and around the globe. It is no wonder then, that they have been the topic of TED Talks. This blog dives into the newest corvid research, and puts it into easier terms and context.

What is it like to be a crow? Although we all would love to know what goes on in the mind of an animal (especially birds), studying corvids is easier said than done. One reason is that corvids are famously neophobic—that is, they avoid novelty, so they do not always appreciate being confronted with new puzzle boxes such as these, or new experimenters who want to work with them. Thus, working with birds like crows requires a lot of time, patience, and creativity. We have now learned a bit about a few of the famous experiments that have been conducted in birds of the crow family and shaped how we see these fascinating animals today. Additional experiments are also explained and illustrated in Nathan Emery’s book, Bird Brain.

In this video, Nicky Clayton explains how we can use the birds’ behavior to understand their cognition, especially how they share food with their mated partner.

Understanding the behavior of these birds, however, is also important for their own survival. Although many corvid species are abundant and ubiquitous across the globe, the ‘alala, native to Hawai’i, were once thought to be extinct. The ‘alala project is an effort to save these birds, and research can help us understand their foraging and breeding behavior, as well as which factors threaten their survival. What’s more, this information may even serve human interests. In this TED talk, Joshua Klein explains his idea about how we can use corvid intelligence to reduce litter.

More about the fascinating birds of the crow family and their relationship with our culture can be found in John Marzluff’s In the Company of Crows and Ravens. Their role in indigenous history is also explained in Mark Jerome Walters’s Seeking the Sacred Raven.