Crows can make visual decisions twice as quickly as humans and monkeys, accurately evaluating moving patterns in an average of 235 milliseconds, according to research published in the journal Science by the University of Tübingen.
Researchers Philipp Schmidbauer and Professor Andreas Nieder of the Institute of Neurobiology studied two carrion crows. The birds were presented with moving dots on a touchscreen and had to decide whether most dots were travelling left or right, pecking a target on the corresponding side. Even when the motion was hard to discern, their choices remained above random, and with clearer signals they achieved nearly 100 per cent accuracy.
To understand how the crows processed information so quickly, the researchers recorded neural activity in the nidopallium caudolaterale, a brain region that, like the human prefrontal cortex, plays a key role in decision-making. Within 70 milliseconds of seeing the moving dots, neurons associated with different choices showed distinct patterns of activity, well before the birds physically responded. As the crows evaluated the dots, neural activity rose steadily until it reached a threshold linked to a decision.
A striking aspect of the findings is that the crows' brains, which lack a layered cerebral cortex, appear to follow the same fundamental decision-making principles as those of humans and primates. "These findings show that neuronal dynamics in the avian brain are consistent with established models of decision-making in humans and non-human primates," Nieder said.
The researchers suggest the exceptional speed could reflect demands birds have faced throughout evolution, as birds rely on vision for precise, rapid maneuvers during flight and to guide their beaks towards objects when foraging. “Birds rely on their vision to carry out precise, rapid maneuvers during flight and to guide their beaks towards objects when foraging,” Nieder explained. The exact biological mechanisms behind the speed advantage remain unknown and will require further study.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The study challenges assumptions that larger, more complex brains are necessarily faster at processing information, showing that even small bird brains can outperform primates in certain tasks.
- Understanding how differently structured brains achieve rapid decision-making could inspire advances in artificial intelligence and neural computing.
- The findings open new questions about the evolution of cognition and whether speed-for-accuracy trade-offs differ across species.
Background
For decades, scientists have studied decision-making in primates as a model for human cognition. Bird brains, which lack a layered neocortex, were long considered less capable of complex processing. Recent research has steadily revealed sophisticated cognitive abilities in corvids, crows, ravens, and jays, including tool use, facial recognition, and causal reasoning. This study adds speed to the list of avian cognitive strengths.
Key Perspectives
- Philipp Schmidbauer (lead researcher): reports that "even when the patterns of motion were hard to recognize, the crows' decisions were still better than random choices, and with clear signals, they achieved an accuracy of nearly 100 percent."
- Andreas Nieder (senior author, University of Tübingen): says the findings show that "neuronal dynamics in the avian brain are consistent with established models of decision-making in humans and non-human primates" and that the speed may reflect the demands birds face in flight and foraging.
What to Watch
- Future studies identifying the specific neural mechanisms that give crows their speed advantage.
- Comparative research testing other bird species to see whether rapid decision-making is widespread or unique to corvids.
- Potential incorporation of bird-brain-inspired structures into neuromorphic computing chips.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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- SupportedCrows make visual decisions twice as quickly as humans and monkeys.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Crows can make visual decisions twice as quickly as humans and monkeys, according to new research from the University of Tübingen.”
- SupportedThe crows made their decisions in an average of 235 milliseconds.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “In experiments involving two carrion crows, the birds needed an average of just 235 milliseconds to determine which way a pattern of moving dots was traveling and respond with their choice.”
- SupportedNeurons associated with different choices showed distinct activity patterns 70 milliseconds after the moving dots appeared.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Just 70 milliseconds after the moving dots appeared, neurons associated with the different choices were already showing distinct patterns of activity.”
- SupportedThe research was published in Science and came from the University of Tübingen.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “The findings, published in the journal Science, offer new insight into how bird brains process information and make decisions.”
- SupportedThe study involved two carrion crows.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “In experiments involving two carrion crows, the birds needed an average of just 235 milliseconds”
- SupportedThe crows judged whether most moving dots travelled left or right and pecked a target on the corresponding side.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “The crows had to determine whether most of the dots were traveling left or right, then indicate their answer by pecking a target on the corresponding side of the screen.”
- SupportedThe crows’ choices were better than random when motion was hard to recognize, and their accuracy was nearly 100 per cent with clear signals.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: ““Even when the patterns of motion were hard to recognize, the crows' decisions were still better than random choices,” Philipp Schmidbauer reports, “and with clear signals, they achieved an accuracy of nearly 100 percent.””
- SupportedResearchers recorded activity in the nidopallium caudolaterale, a region involved in processing information and making decisions.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “The team recorded neural activity in a part of the bird brain called the nidopallium caudolaterale. This region plays an important role in processing information and making decisions, much like the prefrontal cortex in the human brain.”
- SupportedNieder said: “These findings show that neuronal dynamics in the avian brain are consistent with established models of decision-making in humans and non-human primates,”Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: ““These findings show that neuronal dynamics in the avian brain are consistent with established models of decision-making in humans and non-human primates,” says Andreas Nieder.”
- SupportedNieder said: “Birds rely on their vision to carry out precise, rapid maneuvers during flight and to guide their beaks towards objects when foraging,”Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: ““Birds rely on their vision to carry out precise, rapid maneuvers during flight and to guide their beaks towards objects when foraging,” Nieder explains.”
- SupportedThe exact biological mechanisms behind the crows’ speed advantage remain unknown and further study is needed.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “However, the exact biological mechanisms responsible for the crows' speed advantage remain unknown. Further studies will be needed”
