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Olfactory acuity in the common raven (Corvus corax)
Physiology & Behavior
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Ravens demonstrate a remarkable ability to locate hidden food, challenging the notion of a weak sense of smell in corvids. These findings suggest ravens may utilize olfactory cues for foraging.
Area of Science:
- Ornithology
- Animal Behavior
- Sensory Ecology
Background:
- Ravens have long been anecdotally known for locating concealed food, with folklore attributing this to an acute sense of smell.
- Current ornithological consensus suggests passerines, especially corvids, possess a weak sense of smell due to underdeveloped olfactory apparatus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether ravens can detect hidden food using olfactory cues.
- To test the hypothesis that scent plays a role in raven foraging behavior.
Main Methods:
- Four controlled studies were conducted with captive juvenile ravens (5 males, 3 females).
- Subjects were presented with pairs of containers, one containing hidden food (fresh ground fish) under varying depths and amounts of gravel.
- Scent was presumed to be the primary or sole cue for locating the food.
Main Results:
- Ravens successfully identified containers with buried food under 2.0 cm of gravel.
- They located food concealed under depths of up to 2.5 cm of gravel.
- Ravens detected even small quantities (1.0 g) of food covered by 1.5 cm of gravel.
Conclusions:
- The study's findings support the hypothesis that ravens can employ olfactory cues to find hidden food.
- This challenges the prevailing view of limited olfactory capabilities in corvids.
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