New Caledonian crows create compound tools

New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) can combine objects to construct novel compound tools, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. Researchers presented 8 crows with combinable elements too short to retrieve food targets. Four crows spontaneously combined elements to make functional tools, and did so conditionally on the position of food. One of them made 3- and 4-piece tools when required. Credit: Compound tool construction by New Caledonian crows A. M. P. von Bayern, S. Danel, A. M. I. Auersperg, B. Mioduszewska & A. Kacelnik Scientific Reports, DOI: #Ornithology