The Incredible Intelligence of Crows and Other Corvids

In a TED-Ed lesson written by Katharina Brecht and animated by Irida Zhonga, narrator  Pen-Pen Chen talks about the incredible intelligence of corvids (crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers) and how these incredible birds express their aptitude for a great many things.

In a 2014 experiment, scientists placed a food reward in a tube partially filled with water and watched as crow after crow dropped stone after stone in until the food was in beak-snatching distance. This is just one of many fascinating displays of intelligence from corvids— the bold, brainy family of songbirds that includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies.

Corvids are especially adept at recognizing human faces, mourning their dead, and are able to anticipate what their mate needs. Scientists believe it has to do with their upbringing.

Corvids have a longer developmental period than other songbirds. And it’s thought that play encourages learning and lays a strong foundation for their intelligent behavior. Some researchers think cleverness is crucial to the highly social lives of corvids. They breed cooperatively; live and communicate in large dynamic groups; share food; and mob predators together.

Examples of Corvid Intelligence