Watch Mischief, a White-Naped Raven, Create Colorful Works of Art
Rebecca West
With the right incentive, you can get just about anybody to do just about anything. There are limits, of course, hence the words "just about," but choosing the right "carrot" really can accomplish almost anything. One of the easiest ways to get animals to do what you want is by rewarding them with treats.
It makes it a lot easier if you're working with creatures known for their critical thinking. Take ravens, for example. Members of the corvid family, ravens, crows, jays, magpies, etc., are among the most intelligent birds on the planet.
In fact, a study published in 2017 in the journal Science demonstrated that ravens even pre-plan tasks, a behavior long thought to be exclusive to humans and their nearest relatives.
In one simple experiment scientists taught ravens how a tool could help them access food. When offered a number of objects nearly 24 hours later, the birds selected that same tool again and then performed the task to get their treat.
So, it should come as no surprise that they can be taught how to paint and that staff at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri got a white-naped raven to do just that. The animal's name is Mischief, and they enjoy artistic pursuits when dabbling with paint is interspersed with treats.
Equipped with a color palette and a small sea sponge, Mischief can be viewed in a YouTube video posted to the sanctuary's channel under Shorts creating their own masterpiece by dabbing purple and red paints on a miniature canvas in between mouthfuls of food provided by staff members.
The video is too darn cute, and the abstract smudges left behind could be likened to several different art forms. But Mischief's work isn't about labels. It's all about the reward of seeds and grain. If this is the first time you're hearing about this Jackson Pollack of the avian world, you simply must watch this clip.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TBlW58tNpWI
