It turned out that the crows hide the tools they use according to the value they give
New-Caledonian crows are famous for their tool use
Scientists have revealed that New-Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) watch out for valuable tools.
These animals are famous for using different tools to lure their prey out of hiding places like tree holes.
Crows, which hold their tools tightly while hunting, need to put them on the ground while eating. However, this puts the tools at risk of being accidentally dropped or stolen by other crows.
Researchers from the University of St Andrews discovered that when not needed, birds secure tools with two different strategies. The first is to keep tools firmly under their feet. The other is to place it in a nearby cavity or behind a shell.
Now researchers from the University of St Andrews as well as the Max Plank Institute for Animal Behavior are asking, “Are crows more careful when handling valuable tools?” pursued the question.
In the experiment, the birds used two kinds of tools, mixed with hooks or simple without hooks. These tools differ in terms of raw material, production cost and performance.
The findings showed that birds were more likely to keep valuable hooked tools safe than simple hookless tools.
Barbara Klump, lead author of the study, published December 21 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal eLife, likened this behavior to humans:
Most of us make an effort to make sure that a new phone isn’t scratched, dropped or lost. However, we can use an old phone with a cracked screen very carelessly.
James St Clair of the research team is also excited about the work:
The findings show that crows have an understanding of the relative ‘values’ of different types of vehicles.
Experts emphasized that the study, which offers an innovative way to measure the value animals give to different tools, is a first in this respect.
It is thought that this method could be used to study the behavior of other tool-using animals, such as the chimpanzee.
