Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University have shown that birds alter their eating choices when others are nearby. The study, published in PLOS ONE, sheds light on how social context can influence decision making in corvids, a family that includes jays and ravens.
In this experiment, two corvid species were observed: Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) and New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). Each bird had access to two types of food, designed to test quality and preference. High-quality options included mealworms for the crows and meat for the jays, while the lower-quality choices were apples for the ravens and bread for the jays. Food was retrieved from under a clear plastic container, and the setup introduced a deliberate delay: the low-quality food was placed first, followed by the high-quality item after a 15-second interval, requiring the birds to wait for their top pick.
Across trials, the jays typically waited for the mealworms when alone. However, in the presence of another bird, their behavior shifted toward the more accessible bread. The crows, by contrast, persisted in seeking their preferred meat regardless of the delay and did not immediately grab the apples when available.
The choice to forgo an immediate reward in favor of a later, better option demonstrated an element of self-control in both species. This approach is comparable to methods used in assessing self-control in young children, highlighting parallels between avian and human decision making. Studies on these birds have shown that jays possess notable behavioral flexibility, adjusting their strategies based on environmental cues and social context.
Researchers noted that New Caledonian crows tend to be more social and tolerant of others than Eurasian jays. While both species store food for later use, jays rely more heavily on this tactic as a survival strategy. The scientists suggested that this difference may explain why territorial jays sometimes alter their food choices when competitors are present, opting for readily available but less preferred items to avoid ending up empty-handed.
Further observations in related work have documented the discovery of a new insect species known for its distinctive biting apparatus, illustrating the ongoing interest in animal behavior and ecological interactions that continue to shape our understanding of evolutionary strategies in birds.
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