Crows and ravens demonstrate extraordinary cognitive abilities that raise important questions about their capacity for suffering and their welfare needs in captivity and the wild.
The cognitive sophistication of corvids means they are likely to experience complex emotional states including boredom, frustration, grief and possibly anticipatory pleasure. Wild crows in degraded habitats or under persecution suffer not only physically but potentially experience prolonged psychological stress. Captive corvids require exceptional enrichment and social contact to meet their cognitive needs. Persecution of corvids through legal and illegal means causes suffering that is likely far more complex than once assumed.