Crows, jays and magpies | Corvidae

Kraaiachtigen | Córvidos

Relative to body size, this family has the largest brain of any bird group, capable of solving novel problems, using tools, and remembering the exact location of hundreds of food caches, sometimes months later. The strong, all-purpose bill serves for hammering and tearing as well as for picking up an object with precision, matching a diet that ranges from seeds and carrion to the eggs and nestlings of other birds. In several species within the family, young from an earlier brood stay with the parent pair to help feed and guard the next clutch, a form of cooperation rare among birds. Their vocal output is unusually varied and includes, alongside their own calls, mimicry of other birds and environmental sounds, contributing to a rich repertoire of social behaviour within groups.