Crows, ravens, and other corvids demonstrate extraordinary cognitive abilities that have implications for how we understand and protect their welfare.
Corvid intelligence research has consistently surprised scientists by revealing cognitive abilities thought to be uniquely primate. Tool use, theory of mind, planning, and individual face recognition in crows and ravens suggest these animals have inner lives of considerable complexity. The welfare implications are significant: if corvids experience their environments with the richness their cognitive abilities suggest, the common threats they face in urban environments — poisoning, vehicle strikes, and persecution — may cause more meaningful suffering than we typically attribute to birds. Taking corvid welfare seriously means protecting urban corvid populations and considering their intelligence in pest management decisions.