The Genius of Birds

by Jennifer Ackerman

Only a few animal species have been known to reassure others in distress, among them great apes and dogs. Asian elephants were lately added to the list with a study showing that they may console a distraught individual with their trunks, gently touching its face or putting their trunk in its mouth—akin to an elephant hug. Not long ago, Thomas Bugnyar and his colleague Orlaith Fraser set out to discover whether ravens provide this kind of comfort to distressed mates or friends who are victims of a conflict. Do ravens feel sympathy for victims after an aggressive conflict? Do they console them? Consolation is of special interest, say the researchers, “because it implies a cognitively demanding degree of empathy, known in humans as ‘sympathetic concern.’” Consoling a victim means first recognizing suffering and then responding in a way that alleviates it for the sufferer. This requires sensitivity to the emotional needs of others—a trait once thought unique to humans and their closest relatives, chimps and bonobos. The scientists studied a group of thirteen young ravens. Before young ravens pair up and get territorial, they hang out in large flocks and cultivate valuable allies and partnerships. In any social group, conflicts may arise, and an “unkindness” of young ravens is no exception. Raven fights, especially those within a family, are usually minor squabbles involving a few pecks here and there. But fights between strangers or members of other families over nests, mates,...