Modulation of behavioural laterality in wild New Caledonian crows (<i>Corvus moneduloides</i>): Vocalization, age and function

Mack, Cyrielle; Uomini, Natalie

doi:10.1080/1357650x.2022.2098969

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Thus, although our crows generally prefer to use their right eye, such a preference could easily be lost when there are certain physical constraints. In addition, although three out of the four crows showed a significant right eye bias in this study, it is important to note that previous research, including studies involving this species, has reported individual differences in the laterality bias among corvids (Clary et al, 2014;Izawa et al, 2005;Mack & Uomini, 2022). Therefore, caution is warranted when generalizing our results across individuals.…”

Section: Right Eye Biasmentioning

confidence: 61%

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion-capture system

Itahara,

Kano

2023

Preprint

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The visually guided behaviors of corvids (Corvidae) are often examined in previous studies because they provide important clues about their perception, attention, and cognition. However, the details regarding how they orient their heads toward the visual targets (or how they use their visual fields when attending to the visual targets) remain largely unclear. This study used a newly established motion capture system to examine the visual field use of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos). Study 1 employed an established ophthalmoscopic reflex technique to identify the visual field configuration, including the binocular width and optic axes, as well as the degree of eye movement. Study 2 used the motion capture system to track the head movements of freely moving crows and examined how they oriented their reconstructed visual fields toward attention-getting objects. When visual targets were moving, the crows used their binocular visual fields, particularly around the projection of the beak-tip. When the visual targets stopped moving, crows frequently used non-binocular visual fields, particularly around the regions where their optic axes were found in Study 1 (close to their visual axes). On such occasions, the crows slightly preferred the right eye. Overall, the visual field use of crows is clearly predictable. Thus, while the untracked eye movements could introduce some level of uncertainty (typically within 15 degrees), we demonstrated the feasibility of inferring a crow's attentional focus by 3D tracking of their heads. Our system represents a promising initial step towards establishing gaze tracking methods for studying corvid behavior and cognition.

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Section: Right Eye Biasmentioning

confidence: 61%

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion-capture system

Itahara,

Kano

2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Thus, although our crows generally prefer to use their right eye, such a preference could easily be lost when there are certain physical constraints. In addition, although three out of the four crows showed a significant right eye bias for objects on the ground, it is important to note that previous research, including studies involving this species, has reported individual differences in the laterality bias among corvids ( Clary et al, 2014 ; Izawa et al, 2005 ; Mack and Uomini, 2022 ). Therefore, caution is warranted when generalizing our results across individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion capture system

Itahara,

Kano

2024

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Previous studies often inferred the focus of a bird's attention from its head movements because it provides important clues about their perception and cognition. However, it remains challenging to do so accurately, as the details of how they orient their visual field toward the visual targets remain largely unclear. We thus examined visual field configurations (Study 1) and the visual field use (Study 2) of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos). Study 1 employed an established ophthalmoscopic reflex technique to identify the visual field configuration, including the binocular width and optic axes, as well as the degree of eye movement. Study 2 used a newly established motion capture system to track the head movements of freely moving crows and examined how they oriented their reconstructed visual fields toward attention-getting objects. When visual targets were moving, the crows frequently used their binocular visual fields, particularly around the projection of the beak-tip. When the visual targets stopped moving, crows frequently used non-binocular visual fields, particularly around the regions where their optic axes were found in Study 1. On such occasions, the crows slightly preferred the right eye. Overall, the visual field use of crows is clearly predictable. Thus, while the untracked eye movements could introduce some level of uncertainty (typically within 15 degrees), we demonstrated the feasibility of inferring a crow's attentional focus by 3D tracking of their heads. Our system represents a promising initial step towards establishing gaze tracking methods for studying corvid behavior and cognition.

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Tool Use by New Caledonian Crows Can Inform Cognitive Archaeology

Uomini

Fairlie

2023

Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology

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This chapter discusses the fruitfulness of interchange between the discipline of cognitive archaeology and research on corvid birds. To illustrate the valuable two-way exchanges that can be made, the chapter presents published work on corvid cognition and the authors’ ongoing work on New Caledonian crows’ tool-use and social behaviors. The chapter highlights important gaps. In particular, parallels for early hominins have tended to focus heavily on primates but have ignored other taxa. Similarly, animal cognition research and especially corvid studies have underutilized the potential to put their findings in the context of current data from cognitive archaeology. The authors argue that greater attention should be given to birds in general, and corvids in particular, when reconstructing human cognitive evolution, as these species are in some ways more relevant to human evolution than the primate models that have always been the focus. Likewise, findings from other domains of cognitive archaeology should be better incorporated into corvid research. The authors advocate for stronger communication between researchers who work on human cognition, human evolution, and animal cognition. To achieve a truly complete understanding of human cognitive evolution, an interdisciplinary approach that brings together multiple lines of evidence is required, no matter how different the perspectives. Cognitive archaeology and corvids can greatly benefit from listening to each other. Each also offers their own unique contributions to wider fields.

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Modulation of behavioural laterality in wild New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides): Vocalization, age and function

Cited by 3 publications

References 119 publications

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion-capture system

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion-capture system

Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion capture system

Tool Use by New Caledonian Crows Can Inform Cognitive Archaeology

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