Scientists show that carrion crows bear the number four, after which birds also emit four cries

This proves that these birds are more intelligent than we thought.

Crows are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. They are considered particularly intelligent because of their ability to solve complex problems, use tools, communicate, and learn from experience. It is no coincidence that scientists love to study these animals. in Recent study Researchers have once again conducted a fascinating behavioral experiment with these intelligent birds. This led to a surprising discovery.

Crows
Although the carrion crow belongs to the songbird group, it is not exactly known for its beautiful song. We know that crows have an amazing learning ability. For example, previous research has shown that crows can count. “They also have excellent control of their voices,” says researcher Andreas Nieder. “They can choose carefully whether they want to make noise or not.” It gave Neder an idea. Because could Black Crow also combine these two skills?

Experience
Three different black crows were given the following task: when they saw a particular set of Arabic numerals or heard specific sounds, they had to respond appropriately. For example, if they saw the number three, they had to scream three screams, and if they saw the number four, they had to scream four screams. They then had to end their sequence by pressing a key. The researchers were amazed. “All three birds were successful,” Nieder says. “They were able to count their screams.”

delay
However, it took some time for the birds to respond after seeing or hearing the alarm, especially if more screaming was needed. This delay was not affected by the type of stimulus, whether visual or auditory. “This suggests that crows develop an abstract numerical concept based on the information provided,” Nieder explains. “They then use this to plan their cries before they make a sound.”

Screams
This finding was confirmed when the researchers observed each crow making separate sounds during the sequence. “By looking at the acoustic properties of the first cry in the series, we were able to predict how many screams the crow would emit,” Nieder says.

mistake
But the Ravens made mistakes at times. “The birds sometimes made counting errors and made too many or too few sounds,” Nieder said. “This happened when they forgot how many sounds they had already made or had yet to make. We can also recognize these errors by how the sounds sounded.”

Despite this, the researchers were very impressed. The ability to utter a certain number of screams requires a good combination of arithmetic skills and control of the sound of the voice. “Our findings show that not only humans have this ability,” Nieder concludes. “This even means that crows can communicate in an advanced way.”