Posted on 04/14/2025 3:03:32 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Crows have a skill once thought to be uniquely human: recognizing geometrical shapes and spotting pattern differences.
A new study by researchers at the University of Tübingen reveals that carrion crows can identify geometric regularities without prior training. These findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
Researchers test shape recognition in crows
Led by Philipp Schmidbauer, Madita Hahn, and Andreas Nieder, the team tested whether crows could detect when one shape stood out.
This skill, known as recognizing geometric regularity, is being able to identify when something doesn’t follow a visual pattern—like spotting a plastic star among plastic moons.
Grecian Delight supports Greece
Scientists tested this ability in primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos in the past. Until now, no other creature besides humans has been known to possess this ability
Digital experiments used for simple pattern tests
Given how rare this skill is, the researchers cautiously approached this study. They designed a series of digital tests using computer screens.
The crows were shown sets of shapes and asked to peck the ones that looked different. A correct choice earned them a food reward.
The team picked carrion crows because earlier research indicates they are extremely intelligent. These birds have already demonstrated skills in problem-solving, memory, and even basic counting.
Crows succeed at both simple and subtle differences
The results were clear from the start. Each bird quickly learned to select the shape that didn’t match. For example, they could easily pick out a star placed among rectangles.
The researchers introduced more subtle differences to explore the limits of their perception. In one test, a single box tilted slightly among identical upright boxes. Even then, the crows picked out the odd shape more often than chance would allow.
Though accuracy dropped with difficult tasks, their performance stayed well above random guessing.
Advanced visual understanding shown by birds
Further testing revealed even more impressive results. The birds could recognize visual elements such as right angles, parallel lines, and symmetrical shapes. These are essential features of geometry that humans typically learn in early education.
Most strikingly, the crows completed these tasks without any prior training to understand shapes. This suggests that their ability to detect regularity might be instinctive rather than learned.
Study suggests intelligence in animals may be underestimated
According to the researchers, the findings offer strong evidence that this type of visual reasoning is not limited to humans. It may exist naturally in other intelligent species as well.
The study adds to a growing body of work showing that bird intelligence—particularly in species like crows and ravens—is more advanced than once believed.
I guess I just have this weird tendency to want to abide by the law...and crows are illegal to keep throughout the US, unless one is a licensed rehabber nursing one.
The only wild birds that it’s legal to take and keep without a license are feral pigeons, house sparrows, and starlings. I’ve had all of those.
(There used to be a ‘movement’ promoting the taking of crows as pets; I don’t know whatever happened to it...)
They seem to like ‘shiny’ things.
If you make friends with one and give it treats, it might bring you gifts in return :-)
I had a pet crow as a child. Crows really smart and fascinating.
Knott’s Berry Farm in California used to have a chicken that, when you placed a coin in a slot, would play the first few bars of some little nursery rhyme tune on a toy piano which would win her a handful of chicken feed.
Like that movie with Brandon Lee.
“Grecian Delight supports Greece”
Whut?
They are friggin smart.
*If you’re carrying one or not.
I, for one, welcome our new Corvid overlords
Bend the knee to your new overlords
https://www.sciencing.com/real-life-uses-pythagorean-theorem-8247514/
But I don’t think crows do, or NEED to do, any of those things. Their lives are a lot more simple than ours.
One of the royal guard horses would drop his oats on the ground to attract pigeons just so he could stomp them to pulp.
Who’s smarter now?
Whut?
My Free Republic pet peeve...
I get highlighting the whole article and then pasting it into your post.
It REALLY bugs me when the poster doesn't go through what they have pasted and remove the ads and the duplicate lines of text.
Not proofing yourself is a whole new level of lazy...
Welp, you see, the pigeon isn’t necessarily smarter than your average crow. It’s just that when it comes to chess the pigeon will land on the board, flap his wings and knock down all the pieces, beshat himself all over the board and then strut about it like he won! Can your royal guard horse do that?
Grecian Delight
Said a chic and attractive young Greek,
“Would you like a quick peek that’s unique?”
“Why, yes,” Joe confessed,
So she quickly undressed
And showed him her sleek Greek physique.
Give out more grants.
They’re also VERY good at spotting Cottonmouth snakes ... and, pecking them to death.
They certainly know a pecker when they see one.
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