[Clever rooks repeat ancient fable]

Good one below re rooks... members of the crow family, and a common species here... think (maybe?) Carrion Crow or similar over there? I am also fishing for a piece from Time magazine from a few weeks back re animal intelligence... 16 August edition, I think...


Clever rooks repeat ancient fable

One of Aesop's fables may have been based on fact, scientists report. In the tale, written more than 2,000 years ago, a crow uses stones to raise the water level in a pitcher so it can reach the liquid to quench its thirst. Now, a study published in Current Biology reveals that rooks, a relative of crows, do just the same when presented with a similar situation.

The team says the study shows rooks are innovative tool-users, even though they do not use tools in the wild. Another paper, published in the journal Plos One, shows that New Caledonian crows - which like rooks, are a member of the corvid group, along with ravens, jackdaws, magpies and jays - can use three tools in succession to reach a treat.

Floating feast
The crow and the pitcher fable was used by Aesop to illustrate that necessity is the mother of invention. But until now, the morality tale was not thought to have a grounding in fact.

To investigate further, a team from the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) presented four captive rooks with a set-up analogous to the fable. The birds were shown a clear tube containing a small amount of water. Floating upon it was an out-of-reach worm. And a pile of stones was positioned nearby.

Dr Nathan Emery, co-author of the paper, from QMUL, said: "The rooks have to put multiple stones in the tube until the worm floats to the top."

And the four birds did just that. Two, called Cook and Fry, raised the water level enough to grab the floating feast the very first time that they were presented with the test, while Connelly and Monroe were successful on their second attempt.

Footage [no footage link given] of the experiments shows the rooks first assessing the water level by peering at the tube from above and from the side, before picking up and dropping the stones into the water.

The birds were extremely accurate, using the exact number of stones needed to raise the worm to a height where they could reach it.

Yaaaay, Jemison! Way to go!

Thanks to all the Rehabbers and Watchers... to Carol P. for bringing us to the release with her words... and to Jim P. for those pix!

Slainte!

Bobbie

We usually get to see more during the winter months too, Donna. First, there are the back-yard feeders (which I am making a greater effort with this year re cleaning!!!). Then, Ireland is a winter haven for thousands - nay, perhaps millions! - of wintering wildfowl and waders. Of course the little divils are not in their more colourful breeding plumage, so most appear as "little brown jobs" (LBJs) to the likes of me...

And given all you do for the birds, I think they owe you the return favour of appearing to you more frequently!

Donna! You GOTTA get out more!

One of my most amazing wildlife experiences was being on the Balearic island of Majorca during Spring migration. We sat in a place called the Bacquer Valley and just watched in awe as thousands (as far as we could tell!) of swallows (Hirunda rustica... same as at home?) swooped down the valley, and then back up again - trying to decide: "Do we go now?" This they did for seeming ages... til suddenly - and for no apparent reason that we could understand... off they went, crossing the Med and heading northwards. Whatever made them make this "decision", we may never know. Perhaps it is better not to know, as it would take away from the thrill that is the Mystery of Migration.

Tough to tell who had a better time - the Visitor or the Visited! What a wonderful thing this forum is, bringing so many people together in so many ways.

Slainte!

Bobbie

(And Anne... I totally owe you an email!!! Not forgetting...)

Never heard of anything that ate crow.

I've been known to do so on very rare occasions   

Atta Girl, Janet - wish I had thought of that!!

Whoa-ho! Now that's a good one!!!

Good one, BC. I too would accept the Pileated as a good one to have in the meantime..

Thanks, BC - I look forward to an armchair adventure!

Ok, who's Jeff, and what is he doing in Antarctica? Coming into Spring down there, so lots will be happening for Lucky Jeff...

Amazing indeed! When word came out of (possible) sightings a number of years back, the Irish birding community nearly lost its reason! And I think I heard the distinct sound of airline tickets being booked... alas, it was not to be... yet... Here's hoping! Truly it is the "Lord God" bird!

As I marvel, I wonder, as a human, how I fit in… Rinchen

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I saw that post, Donna... how poetic many of those Osprey rangers are!

[WOW]

WOW to those pix!

    Very funny story Bobbie!        Thanks for sharing.   

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Thanks, MAK... like all of us on the Forum have probably experienced, it has become a Family Legend... and the facts seem to expand and explode with each passing year...