Jingszo !

Emotional lives

Corvids show cognitive biases, similar to humans. They have negative moods and show signs of pessimism after observing similar states in others.

But they also show positive moods after successfully using tools – just like humans. And they can also show neophobia – wariness of new objects.

Even if you come with treats to give them, corvids are reluctant to fly close to someone they haven’t met before, but are confident with humans they know well – another common human trait.

It is common for people to only attribute emotional lives to mammals, but corvids show that we should study the emotions of birds in more detail.

A rich sense of self

They not only recognise themselves in mirrors, but also understand other minds. Research has shown corvids go back to remove cached food and hide it elsewhere if they know they have been observed – but only if they have stolen from others in the past.