Crows May Grasp Basic Geometry: Study Finds the Brainy Birds Can Tell the Difference Between Shapes

For decades, the narrative in cognitive science has been that certain abilities—language, logic, mathematics—are uniquely human. Every now and then, we see these boundaries break down. A new study finds that crows intuitively understand geometry, identifying irregular shapes without learning.

Corvid intelligence: study shows crows understanding geometry

Crows are objectively awesome—leaving gifts for humans who prove themselves worthy, exploring interspecies friendships and learning to count—and a new study on corvid intelligence published in Science Advances shows they have at least a rudimentary understanding of geometry. In "Crows recognize geometric regularity", Philipp Schmidbauer, Madita Hahn, and Andreas Nieder demonstrate the birds' ability to recognize geometric shapes. — Read the rest…

Recent experiments show that these animals have skills to recognize patterns, surpassing even primates in similar tests

Crows May Grasp Basic Geometry: Study Finds the Brainy Birds Can Tell the Difference Between Shapes

Scientists tested crows on their ability to recognize “geometric regularity,” a skill previously assumed to be unique to humans

Crows can recognize geometric regularity

A trio of animal physiologists at the University of Tübingen, in Germany, has found that at least one species of crow has the ability to recognize geometric regularity. In their study published in the journal Science Advances, Philipp Schmidbauer, Madita Hahn and Andreas Nieder conducted several experiments that involved testing crows on their ability to recognize geometric shapes.

A bird type is able to recognize certain geometric shapes, according to experiments conducted by a team of researchers.