The scientists created a type of food vending machine that dispensed treats when a paper token was inserted. Then they gave crows torn pieces of paper in a range of sizes. Only pieces of a certain size would make the machine work.
The crows experimented with the different pieces of paper until they figured out which sizes produced the treat. They quickly got good at picking up the correct-size pieces to use to get food from the machine.
Then the researchers removed all the pieces of torn paper.
After a period of time, the scientists gave the crows some large sheets of paper.
Working only from memory, the crows used their beaks and feet to tear the paper into smaller pieces. If their torn paper pieces were too small or too large, the vending machine wouldn't work.
The result? Crows remembered the task and the required size of the "food token" necessary, and they got treats from the vending machine.
This ability is something almost no animals can do.
So the next time you gaze up at a crow, it's fun to remember their amazing smarts.
P.S. The article is as "dry" as you might expect in a scientific journal, but here it is for the curious:
Nature Scientific Reports
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