Curious Cases, Series 23, Clever Crows

Curious Cases

Series 23

Clever Crows

June 28, 2025

29 minutes

Available for over a year

The term 'bird brain' might suggest our feathered friends are stupid, but Hannah and Dara learn it's completely untrue. They play hide and seek with a raven called Bran, and hear how his behaviour changes depending on his mood. Corvid expert Nicola Clayton explains these creatures are actually cleverer than the average 8-year-old, and can learn how to choose specific tools for different scenarios. And neurobiologist Andreas Nieder tells them that while crows evolved totally different brains from humans - 300,000 years apart - they might just be capable of the same type of intelligence.

Contributors:

Bran the raven

Lloyd Buck, bird handler

Professor Nicky Clayton, University of Cambridge

Professor Andreas Nieder, University of Tubingen

Producer: Marijke Peters

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Audio Production