We know birds are incredible. From remarkable feats of endurance in migration to the great lengths they go to when breeding and raising their young. We often see reports of primates using tools to complete tasks, but did you know that birds do it as well? It is fascinating how some birds have developed tool-using skills! Here are some examples of how birds use higher-order thinking to solve problems when gathering food by creating and adapting tools.
Corvids (Crows, Ravens, Magpies)
Crows exhibit the most remarkable tool-using abilities. Studies of New Caledonian Crows, in particular, have shown they can solve problems and use tools to achieve specific goals. Research has shown that these intelligent birds can create compound tools by combining multiple parts. For example, they can join two or more short pieces of an item together to make a longer tool that can reach food that would otherwise be inaccessible. This is a very complex cognitive ability.
The motivation to use tools for these smart birds is usually food. Crows will use tools to extract insects from tree trunks and other hard-to-reach places. They can use sticks to probe into crevices and retrieve food items.
They can also craft tools from various materials like twigs, leaf stems, and even barbed leaves. Once they have them, they can then actually modify them, shaping and adjusting them to suit specific tasks, like extracting insects from holes. They can create hooked tools, bending materials to create a shape that can retrieve food from tight spaces.
Furthermore, crows have been observed memorizing tool shapes and then reusing those shapes from raw materials to create tools that are the correct size. And it is not just in research studies. In the wild, urban crows have been observed to use cars as tools. They will place nuts in roads and allow the cars to crack the nuts open for them.
These examples highlight the sophisticated cognitive abilities of crows and their impressive capacity for tool use.
Woodpecker Finches
Woodpecker Finches, found in the Galapagos Islands, are renowned for their unique tool-using behavior. They primarily use cactus spines or small twigs as tools. By modifying these tools and breaking them to the appropriate length or shaping them to better suit the task, they can use them to probe into crevices in trees, particularly those inhabited by insects and larvae.
By carefully manipulating the tool, they can dislodge their prey, bringing it within reach of their beaks. Essentially, they are using the tool as a substitute for a long tongue, which is what real woodpeckers use. Because woodpecker finches have short finch-type tongues, they invented using outside tools to reach deep into the crevices.
This behavior is particularly important during dry seasons when food is scarce. Woodpecker Finches have adapted to their environment by developing the ability to use tools as an extension of their bodies, allowing them to exploit a valuable food source.
Herons
Herons, particularly Green Herons and Striated Herons, exhibit tool-using behavior primarily in the form of baiting to catch fish. These herons use objects like twigs, leaves, insects, or even bread crumbs as bait by dropping them onto the water’s surface to attract fish. When a fish approaches the bait, the heron swiftly strikes and captures it.
This tool use enhances their hunting efficiency, allowing them to catch fish that might otherwise be out of reach. It shows a level of cognitive ability as they are using an outside object to manipulate their environment to their advantage.
There are also reports of herons carefully selecting and even modifying their bait, demonstrating a degree of planning and adaptability. Herons use tools to create a lure, effectively extending their hunting capabilities and increasing their chances of a successful catch.
Brown-headed Nuthatches
Brown-headed Nuthatches demonstrate a fascinating example of tool use, primarily related to their foraging habits. These birds use small pieces of bark, often referred to as “bark scales,” as tools. They hold these scales in their beaks and use them to pry up other pieces of bark on trees. This allows them to access insects, spiders, and other invertebrates that are hidden beneath the bark. They have also been seen using pine needles and twigs as tools.
There is no end to the talents of these little birds. They have also been seen to use the bark scales to cover up caches of seeds.
Palm Cockatoos
Palm Cockatoos exhibit a very specialized and unique form of tool use. Male Palm Cockatoos craft tools from sticks and seed pods, and they use these tools to create drumming displays, striking them against hollow tree limbs. This drumming is part of their courtship rituals and territorial displays.
To begin with, they break off branches and modify them to create a sort of drumstick. They will also utilize seed pods, modifying their shape. Studies have shown that individual males have preferences for the type and design of their tools. The primary purpose of this tool use is for acoustic signaling, a form of musical display.
Researchers have found that each male creates his tools in a slightly different manner and that they have individual drumming rhythms. This shows a high level of individual expression. These rare birds display a real ingenuity in creating a percussive performance, showcasing their unique ability to use objects for communication.
Gulls
While gulls might not exhibit tool use in the same complex ways as corvids or finches, they do demonstrate some behaviors that could be considered a form of tool-assisted foraging. Gulls are known to pick up shellfish like mussels or clams and carry them high into the air. They then drop these shells onto hard surfaces, such as rocks or pavement, to break them open and access the food inside.
In this sense, they’re using the hard surface as a tool to crack open their prey. This behavior is more about using the environment as a tool than creating or modifying tools.
Final Thoughts
Birds use tools in a variety of ways, driven primarily by the need for food and, in some cases, reproduction. Across bird species, there is a wide range of skills shown, from creation and manipulation to baiting and musicality.
The most common reason for birds to use tools is to access food sources that would otherwise be inaccessible. This includes extracting insects from tree trunks, cracking open shells, and luring fish. Other reasons for tool use include courtship display and caching of food.
Tool use in birds reflects their intelligence, adaptability, and ability to solve problems, allowing them to thrive in diverse environments.
