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Clever Crows

Curious CasesSeries 23
Episode 13 of 13

Eleanor wonders whether crows are capable of complex human emotions and finds out they're cleverer than the average eight-year-old.

The term 'bird brain' might suggest our feathered friends are stupid, but Hannah and Dara learn it's completely untrue. They play hide and seek with a raven called Bran, and hear how his behaviour changes depending on his mood. Corvid expert Nicola Clayton explains these creatures are actually cleverer than the average 8-year-old, and can learn how to choose specific tools for different scenarios. And neurobiologist Andreas Nieder tells them that while crows evolved totally different brains from humans - 300,000 years apart - they might just be capable of the same type of intelligence.

Contributors:

Bran the raven
Lloyd Buck, bird handler
Professor Nicky Clayton, University of Cambridge
Professor Andreas Nieder, University of Tubingen

Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Audio Production

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Mon 30 Jun 202515:30
BBC Radio 4

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  • Sat 28 Jun 202510:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Mon 30 Jun 202515:30
    BBC Radio 4

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