BETTY the New Caledonian crow may not have been as famous as Alex the parrot, but her ability to turn a piece of wire into a hook to extract a previously inaccessible treat was a startling feat for an animal. Now she and her crow colleagues are back, demonstrating some remarkable skills that leave those of chimps behind (see “Can crows plan their actions?”).
Betty and three other crows performed a sequence of actions that involved choosing, retrieving and using three tools, though Betty sadly cawed her last caw during the study. The crows’ abilities show a level of…
