Scientists have figured out how crows find prey for wolves
Scientists have found out how crows find prey so quickly after wolves hunt. It turned out that the birds don't just follow predators - they memorise the places where wolves most often kill prey and return there.
The study was published in the journal Science.
The study was conducted by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour and several international universities. The observations took place in Yellowstone National Park in the USA.
Previously, it was thought that crows simply follow wolves to be the first to reach the remains of prey. But the new study shows that this strategy is much more complex.
Details
The scientists fitted 69 crows with GPS sensors and used movement data from 20 wolves that were tracked with satellite collars.
The observations lasted more than two and a half years.
During that time, the researchers found almost no instances of crows following wolf packs for long periods of time. Instead, the birds regularly returned to specific locations where wolves are most likely to successfully hunt.
Benefits
The study showed that crows use spatial memory and are good at navigating the landscape.
Some birds travelled up to 155 kilometres in a day, heading for areas where prey was more likely to be present.
This means that crows actually memorise a 'map' of where food is most likely to appear.
Scientists believe that this behaviour indicates a high level of intelligence in these birds.
Backcountry
Wolves often hunt in certain types of terrain, such as valleys, where they can more easily corral prey. Over time, crows appear to memorise such locations and use this information to find food more quickly.
Source
Matthias-Claudio Loretto et al, Ravens anticipate wolf kill sites across broad scales, Science (2026), DOI: 10.1126/science.adz9467