New Caledonian crows demonstrate tool manufacture and use that rivals primates, raising important questions about their welfare needs and cognitive complexity.
The cognitive complexity of corvids implies rich subjective experience including problem-solving frustration, social grief, and possibly anticipatory pleasure. Corvids kept as pets or in inadequate captivity without cognitive enrichment may suffer from profound boredom. Wild crows killed in pest control operations may experience the suffering of a cognitively sophisticated animal. Their intelligence warrants greater welfare consideration.