Ravens are the only species other than apes who can 'point' and share objects like humans

Ravens ‘point to’ objects to attract each other’s attention in a similar way to humans, research has discovered.

Until now, it was thought the only animals which communicate this way were apes.

But a study by German and Austrian experts revealed ravens to be far more intelligent than previously thought.

They observed wild ravens using their beaks to show and offer each other objects such as moss, stones and twigs.

The birds, which belong to the corvid family with crows and magpies, made signals using their beaks as if they were hands. The experts likened this to the way very young children point and hold up objects as a way of saying ‘look here’ or ‘take this’.

The gestures were mainly between ravens of the opposite sex and helped them become closer. The ravens that attracted a potential mate using them often ended up ‘sharing’ the object with their friend.

The study’s author, Dr Simone Pika, of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, said it was the first evidence ravens use gestures ‘to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond’. more

Posted in: ANIMAL FUN