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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

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Published on: November 6, 2013

Stick dexterity in carrion crows.

Shoko Sugasawa¹

¹Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, England. shoko.sugasawa2@newcastle.ac.uk.

Learning & Behavior

|December 2, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Tool-naïve carrion crows (Corvus corone) improved their stick-tool use efficiency over time. Automated tracking revealed gradual changes in tool trajectories, indicating enhanced dexterity in this avian species.

Keywords:

Cognitive ethology Comparative cognition Tool use

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Area of Science:

Animal cognition and behavior
Avian intelligence
Tool use in non-human animals

Background:

Tool use is a complex cognitive ability observed in various animal species.
Understanding the learning processes underlying tool use provides insights into animal intelligence.
Carrion crows (Corvus corone) are known for their problem-solving skills.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the learning curve and development of tool dexterity in naive carrion crows.
To quantify improvements in tool use efficiency through automated tracking.
To examine how tool manipulation strategies evolve over time in a novel task.

Main Methods:

Three tool-naïve carrion crows were trained to use a stick tool to retrieve a reward from a crevice.
Automated tracking technology was employed to monitor the precise trajectories of the tool tips.
Data analysis focused on changes in tool path efficiency and dexterity over the training period.

Main Results:

Carrion crows demonstrated a gradual improvement in their stick-tool use efficiency.
Automated tracking revealed progressive changes in the trajectories of the tool tips.
These trajectory modifications indicate enhanced motor control and dexterity developed through learning.

Conclusions:

Carrion crows exhibit a capacity for learning and refining complex tool manipulation skills.
The study provides quantitative evidence of improved tool dexterity through practice.
Findings contribute to our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying tool use in birds.