Crows and corvids demonstrate sophisticated tool use and problem-solving that places them among the cognitively elite in the animal kingdom. Their welfare in urban environments is increasingly recognized.
Corvid cognition places these birds at the frontier of animal intelligence research, with capabilities that challenge previous assumptions about which animals deserve serious welfare consideration. Crows that remember individual human faces, plan for future states, understand cause and effect, and respond to unfair treatment are demonstrably experiencing a rich cognitive and potentially emotional inner life. Urban crow welfare matters in practical terms: hazing programs that use aversive methods against urban corvids are acting against animals with long individual memories who will remember and potentially respond to mistreatment. Welfare considerations for corvids should reflect their cognitive complexity.